Ages 7 to 14 years. Feasts were a common way of drawing families and communities together in the Middle Ages. They were also used as an opportunity to display a noble family's wealth. This delightful book takes readers inside a medieval kitchen highlighting utensils used in food preparation, the servants who worked there, and how food was prepared. Topics include: farming and livestock; the harvest and how food was preserved; markets and fairs; herbs and spices to flavour salty foods; food in other cultures of the same period; towns and the merchant class; the butcher, baker, brewer and other tradespeople; the medieval kitchen; hunting, hawking and fishing; the extravagance of the noble's feast; feast days, celebrations, and the Church; food shortages and famine.