‘The Sewerby Cookbook’ combines local contemporary and historical recipes within a collaborative publication looking through the lens of cooking and archiving to explore how our relationship to food and food culture has changed over time. The cookbook was created by international artist Ahilapalapa Rands, who worked as artist-in-residence at Sewerby Hall and Gardens. 

During the development of the cookbook Rands met with staff, cooks and curators from Sewerby Hall as well as spending time in the walled garden and learning about local food production. The community cookbook is inspired by recipes both new and old from Bridlington, the East Riding and further afield. It includes over 40 recipes submitted by local people, including international recipes supplied by some members of Welcome to English, a Hull-based community organisation.

As part of the project, Rands was advised by Sarah Coe, Food Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. ‘The Sewerby Cookbook’ is the final artist project for ‘We Are What We Eat’, for the first year of ‘Surroundings’.

‘Surroundings’ is a 3 year programme 2017-2020 of international artists residencies and exhibitions on environmental themes curated by Invisible Dust, produced by the Humber Museums Partnership.

Bringing together artists and scientists to produce artworks that explore our environment in 16 Museums across Hull, East Riding and North Lincs. In 2018 our focus is on migration and climate change. In 2017 it was ‘We Are What We Eat’ on food and sustainability and in 2019 it will be biodiversity and landscape. Over the programme we expect these important themes to inform one another and overlap through the artists work and education events. It is funded by an Ambitions for Excellence grant from Arts Council England and Sustaining Excellence grant from the Wellcome Trust.

Ahilapalapa Rands’ artist residency was presented in collaboration with the Centre of Contemporary Art, CoCA, Christchurch.

Image: © Kevin Ladden, The Sewerby Cookbook Project launch.