Dr Ruth Thurstan from the University of Exeter examined 1,192 seafood recipes published in British Good Housekeeping from 1923 onwards, revealing that British dinner tables have narrowed to just five dominant species—cod, haddock, tuna, salmon, and prawns—a stark departure from historical menus featuring whale meat curry and oyster cocktails.
The Bottom Line
- British domestic seafood recipes have shifted dramatically over the past century, moving away from diverse catches toward a heavily concentrated “big five” staple diet.
- Research covering a century of Good Housekeeping UK publications identified 67 total species used historically, though variety began shrinking sharply after the 1970s.
- Historical archives from wartime rationing periods famously included dishes like curried whale meat, oyster soup, and fish baked in custard.
A Century of Archived Culinary Shifts
She found that 67 species had been included in recipes over the last 100 years. Meanwhile, the number of recipes featuring delicacies such as oysters, flatfish and herring have plunged.
Three Distinct Eras of British Seafood Preparation
The research divided the century into three broad phases. Pre-1970s cooking featured a diverse mix of species in recipes where no single group ruled, though flatfish, herring, and oysters were prominent. These recipes emphasized domestic skills, economy, and preparing whole fish.
The 1970s shift brought a decline in the diversity of fish species in recipes, accompanied by an increased focus on the big five. By the 1980s and onward, the big five were present in the majority of recipes, accompanied by a decline of other species, though not all vanished entirely.
| Era | Dominant Species / Focus | Notable Historical Recipes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-1970s | High diversity; flatfish, herring, and oysters prominent. | Fish baked in custard, oyster soup, halibut steaks in milk. |
| 1970s Shift | Beginning of the “big five” concentration; tinned fish rise. | Cod roe on toast, tuna soured cream quiche. |
| 1980s–Present | The big five account for over 60% of mentions (and 80% of consumption). | Herb-crusted salmon, gochujang sticky cod, miso prawn skewers. |
Wartime Necessity and Archival Surprises
Recipes from the 1920s and 30s included oyster cocktail, lobster canapes, and halibut steaks in milk. During the 1940s—when rationing was in force—the Ministry of Food explicitly encouraged the consumption of alternative protein sources, resulting in a documented recipe for curried whale meat. Subsequent decades brought plaice véronique and chilled prawn soup in the 1960s, alongside cod roe on toast and tuna soured cream quiche in the 1970s.
According to the Marine Stewardship Council, the big five now make up 80% of the fish and seafood consumed in the United Kingdom. Thurstan noted that this dominance carries environmental costs, as cod, haddock, and shrimp fishing can damage valuable habitats, while salmon farming faces intense scrutiny.
Thurstan attempted a few of the historical recipes herself, including “Fish baked in custard” from January 1923, which called for a slice of cod or halibut, white pepper, grated lemon rind, and a chopped onion baked under a milk-and-egg custard. She also analyzed a May 1934 recipe for Potage aux huîtres (oyster soup) which specified that oysters should never be boiled lest they become hard and leathery.
While modern recipes in the 2020s have trended toward aspirational dishes like golden hasselback salmon, gochujang sticky cod, and miso prawn skewers, the underlying catch has steadily shrunk. Thurstan’s paper, “Declines in the diversity of fish represented in British domestic recipes over the past 100 years,” is set to be published in the journal People and Nature.
