Humans have existed for a long time; the proof is in the many ruins that cover the globe. Through these, we can observe the adapting of human culture; reflected in the architecture, religion and foods of the past and how they have changed over time. 

Located in Bath, England, The Sally Lunn Eating House is one of these timeless monuments of the past, telling its own story through the evolution of culinary dishes and more. The bakery didn’t actually start until the reformation of the monasteries around 1539. Prior to that, it would not have been available to the public, being solely for monks. The building itself was though to have been constructed back in the 1400s, and the ovens speculated to have been done 1100s.


The Eating House is home to many traditional recipes; the most notable being the Sally Lunn Bun. The bread was of French origin, meaning it wasn’t available to the British originally. The speculate dates of Sally Lunn’s arrival (being around the 1680s) are not too reliable, as the lack of information makes it difficult to pinpoint down an exact date.  
I had the pleasure of interviewing Chrissy, a staff member that worked at the museum. Her expertise and knowledge on the subject allowed us a deeper insight into its complex history. The baker is said to have moved to Australia in 1900, so correspondingly, from 1900 to 1970, it wasn’t a bakery, but a house; this coins the name ‘Sally Lunn Eating House’.


Since then, it has been transformed into a family business, started by the current owner’s parents. They have preserved the timeless recipes of the eating house and allow people to lunch them in a restaurant adjacent to the museum part of the building.
‘Normal bread has flour, yeast and water. This is more like a cake or brioche without its sugar; being of enriched dough with eggs, milk and cream.’ Chrissy explained, as she offered out samples. 


As I tasted it, I found that she was completely right, with there being something distinctly different about it from that of normal bread.
Monuments to the ancient times like the Sally Lunn Eating House all have their own story, etched into the architecture and culture of these buildings and contents. And it is through these, that we continue to learn about our past whilst preserving them for the future.