Matt Phillpott
@mphillpott.bsky.social
Educator, writer, and historian. I am a freelance learning designer, working with Moodle, Articulate and other tools with a mission to focus on the learners learning journey. I also run Honeybee Histories, a weekly exploration of the history of bees!
Join me as I host a webinar for Bloomsbury Food Library on Food Across Borders. Register or find out more here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
September 15, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Join me as I host a webinar for Bloomsbury Food Library on Food Across Borders. Register or find out more here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
In this week's The Hungry Historians, Matt and Kelly chat with John Coupland about the history of canning, the micro inventions that made the cans that we know today, and challenges around make tin cans safe. thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/canning-an... #history #foodhistory #cans #podcast
Canning and Canned Foods with John Coupland | The Hungry Historians
How did the original tin can come about and what happened next to make it such an important part of our everyday ingredients? In this week's The Hungry Historians, Matt and Kelly chat with John Coupla...
thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com
September 4, 2026 at 3:21 PM
In this week's The Hungry Historians, Matt and Kelly chat with John Coupland about the history of canning, the micro inventions that made the cans that we know today, and challenges around make tin cans safe. thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/canning-an... #history #foodhistory #cans #podcast
Check out our latest episode of The Hungry Historians, where I and Kelly discuss Irish food history with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/irish-food... #Ireland #foodhistory
Irish Food History with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman | The Hungry Historians
This week we discuss the long-durée of food in Ireland, touching on linguistics, archaeology, and history, and discussing topics such as Irish cattle and dairy, honey, bog butter, and potatoes. We wer...
thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com
August 13, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Check out our latest episode of The Hungry Historians, where I and Kelly discuss Irish food history with Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/irish-food... #Ireland #foodhistory
A few weeks on from this year's London Permaculture Festival, here's my round-up (mainly focused on the families area) sidesteppingnormal.substack.com/p/round-up-f... #permaculture #festival #families
Round-up from the London Permaculture Festival 2026
What happened at the London Permaculture Festival this year - Families, Quails, and Quilting
sidesteppingnormal.substack.com
August 13, 2026 at 9:12 AM
A few weeks on from this year's London Permaculture Festival, here's my round-up (mainly focused on the families area) sidesteppingnormal.substack.com/p/round-up-f... #permaculture #festival #families
Latest episode of The Hungry Historians podcast is out! www.podbean.com/pw/pbblog-be...
The Hungry Historians | Kelly A Spring and Matt Phillpott
Join Kelly Spring and Matt Phillpott for interviews and conversations with leading writers on the history of food and drink. New episodes fortnightly.</p>
www.podbean.com
June 18, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Latest episode of The Hungry Historians podcast is out! www.podbean.com/pw/pbblog-be...
In the early 20th century Maurice Maeterlinck described the ejection of drone bees from the hive as a 'massacre of the males'. Learn more about what he said at Honeybee Histories. #honeybees #drones #beekeeping #history
The Massacre of the Males
In the early 20th century, Maurice Maeterlinck included three chapters in his "The Life of the Bee", elegantly describing the rejection of the drones from honeybee colonies at the end of summer.
open.substack.com
June 11, 2026 at 3:12 PM
In the early 20th century Maurice Maeterlinck described the ejection of drone bees from the hive as a 'massacre of the males'. Learn more about what he said at Honeybee Histories. #honeybees #drones #beekeeping #history
In a case of a spy sent to discredit a scorned woman in a legal case against a US Senator, how does food offer clues? Find out in this weeks The Hungry Historians thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/food-as-a-... #podcast #history #food
June 2, 2026 at 4:28 PM
In a case of a spy sent to discredit a scorned woman in a legal case against a US Senator, how does food offer clues? Find out in this weeks The Hungry Historians thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/food-as-a-... #podcast #history #food
Are children really fussy eaters or is this a result of our modern sensibilities? Find out in our interview with Helen Zoe Veit where we ask - are children really fussy about the food they eat? thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/picky-eate... #foodhistory #fussyeaters #thehungryhistorians
Picky Eaters with Helen Veit | The Hungry Historians
Are children naturally picky eaters? Are there really some foods that we shouldn't feed them and are we damaging their mental health by pushing too hard? These questions and more form the topic of tod...
thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com
March 6, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Are children really fussy eaters or is this a result of our modern sensibilities? Find out in our interview with Helen Zoe Veit where we ask - are children really fussy about the food they eat? thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/picky-eate... #foodhistory #fussyeaters #thehungryhistorians
What might diet books tell us about the nature of #modernity? In our recent conversation with Adrienne Bitar we discussed how American #dietbooks offer a window in to what we think about ourselves and our relation to #science and #mythology. thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/diet-books...
Diet Books with Adrienne Bitar | The Hungry Historians
What happens when we examine diet books as a form of literature that addresses some of the deeper existential questions of our identity and our understanding of our own bodies and those of others? In ...
thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com
February 25, 2026 at 12:36 PM
What might diet books tell us about the nature of #modernity? In our recent conversation with Adrienne Bitar we discussed how American #dietbooks offer a window in to what we think about ourselves and our relation to #science and #mythology. thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/e/diet-books...
I'm really excited to announce that The Hungry Historians podcast has a new home on #podbean check us out at thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/page/2/ #food_history #podcast
Page 2 | The Hungry Historians
Join Kelly Spring and Matt Phillpott for interviews and conversations with leading writers on the history of food and drink. New episodes fortnightly.</p>
thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:33 AM
I'm really excited to announce that The Hungry Historians podcast has a new home on #podbean check us out at thehungryhistorianspodcast.podbean.com/page/2/ #food_history #podcast
Visited the Maritime Museum at Greenwich on Sunday and saw Horatio Nelson's uniform. You can just see the rip in the left shoulder - that's where the musket ball hit him and ended his life! It looks so insignificant, but literally that rip changed history! #history #nelson
February 10, 2026 at 5:45 PM
What did Thomas Hill write about #honeybee anatomy in his 1568 beekeeping manual? open.substack.com/pub/honeybee...
Thomas Hill Chapter 5 – Another look at bee anatomy
Part 12 in a semi-regular series of essays examining the 1568, A Profitable Instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees, written by Thomas Hill.
open.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 8:56 PM
What did Thomas Hill write about #honeybee anatomy in his 1568 beekeeping manual? open.substack.com/pub/honeybee...
Fancy a cocktail? In the latest episode of The Hungry Historians we explore the history of the cocktail parlor with Nicola Nice open.spotify.com/episode/7n9A... #cocktails #history
Cocktails with Nicola Nice
open.spotify.com
February 3, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Fancy a cocktail? In the latest episode of The Hungry Historians we explore the history of the cocktail parlor with Nicola Nice open.spotify.com/episode/7n9A... #cocktails #history
Just a quick reminder of our podcast episode interviewing Eric Rath about the #history of #Sake. This was a fascinating discussion about a alcoholic drink made from rice and its deep connections into Japanese culture open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Sake with Eric C Rath
open.spotify.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Just a quick reminder of our podcast episode interviewing Eric Rath about the #history of #Sake. This was a fascinating discussion about a alcoholic drink made from rice and its deep connections into Japanese culture open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Commonplace books are great way to make notebooks more useful when taking notes for research purposes. In this essay I explain how to make your own commonplace books and give a few examples from those that I've compiled over the years
How to make a Commonplace Book Part 1 – The paper method
Making your own commonplace book is easy but what really matters is the mindset. In this essay I dive into the world of making your own commonplace book.
open.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:58 AM
Commonplace books are great way to make notebooks more useful when taking notes for research purposes. In this essay I explain how to make your own commonplace books and give a few examples from those that I've compiled over the years
Inspired by our discussion about the history of Sake on The Hungry Historians podcast, I sought out a local Sake bar in London. It’s a potent drink but very much enjoyed it! #sake #food_history #japan open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
January 22, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Inspired by our discussion about the history of Sake on The Hungry Historians podcast, I sought out a local Sake bar in London. It’s a potent drink but very much enjoyed it! #sake #food_history #japan open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
As the world only seems to get worse how can we find hope and lead the best life that we can? How do we fight back without going to war or seeking prison by protest? In this essay I explore some of the ideas that give me hope in these difficult times. #hope #good_life
Finding Hope in the Darkness
How do we respond to the looming darkness?
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:20 PM
As the world only seems to get worse how can we find hope and lead the best life that we can? How do we fight back without going to war or seeking prison by protest? In this essay I explore some of the ideas that give me hope in these difficult times. #hope #good_life
Sake is the oldest alcoholic drink in Japan. It can be drunk warm or cold and is made from rice. In the latest episode of The Hungry Historians podcast, Matt and Kelly explore the history of Sake with Eric C. Rath. #sake #food_history #japan open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Sake with Eric C Rath
open.spotify.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Sake is the oldest alcoholic drink in Japan. It can be drunk warm or cold and is made from rice. In the latest episode of The Hungry Historians podcast, Matt and Kelly explore the history of Sake with Eric C. Rath. #sake #food_history #japan open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Our latest episode of The Hungry Historians is now live! In this episode Kelly and I interview Eric C. Rath about his study of the Japenese drink, Sake!
Join us on Spotify or wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts!
open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Join us on Spotify or wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts!
open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Our latest episode of The Hungry Historians is now live! In this episode Kelly and I interview Eric C. Rath about his study of the Japenese drink, Sake!
Join us on Spotify or wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts!
open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Join us on Spotify or wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts!
open.spotify.com/episode/3Cnh...
Round-up of the year on Honeybee Histories open.substack.com/pub/honeybee... #history #honeybees #beekeeping
Honeybee Histories: A Summary of Year Four (2025)
Round up of Honeybee Histories in 2025
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Round-up of the year on Honeybee Histories open.substack.com/pub/honeybee... #history #honeybees #beekeeping
My latest History Commonplaces is a #Christmas special featuring a Christmas Pineapple! open.substack.com/pub/historyc... #history
History News 003 - The Christmas Edition
Christmas, news, and more.
open.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:06 AM
My latest History Commonplaces is a #Christmas special featuring a Christmas Pineapple! open.substack.com/pub/historyc... #history
In addition to Spotify, you can listen to The Hungry Historians podcast on these platforms:
Amazon Music - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ed8...
Castbox - castbox.fm/channel/id68...
iHeartRadio - www.iheart.com/podcast/269-... [only available in US]
PocketCast - pocketcasts.com/podcast/the-...
Amazon Music - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ed8...
Castbox - castbox.fm/channel/id68...
iHeartRadio - www.iheart.com/podcast/269-... [only available in US]
PocketCast - pocketcasts.com/podcast/the-...
For the best experience accessing Amazon Music, we recommend using the latest version of Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Edge.
music.amazon.co.uk
December 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM
In addition to Spotify, you can listen to The Hungry Historians podcast on these platforms:
Amazon Music - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ed8...
Castbox - castbox.fm/channel/id68...
iHeartRadio - www.iheart.com/podcast/269-... [only available in US]
PocketCast - pocketcasts.com/podcast/the-...
Amazon Music - music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ed8...
Castbox - castbox.fm/channel/id68...
iHeartRadio - www.iheart.com/podcast/269-... [only available in US]
PocketCast - pocketcasts.com/podcast/the-...
The Hungry Historians podcast is back for season 2! We open with a fascinating exploration of Or Rosenboim's book "Air and Love" - an examination of her family history told through the lens of #food and #cooking open.spotify.com/episode/0Fxq... #history #foodhistory
Spotify – Web Player
open.spotify.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The Hungry Historians podcast is back for season 2! We open with a fascinating exploration of Or Rosenboim's book "Air and Love" - an examination of her family history told through the lens of #food and #cooking open.spotify.com/episode/0Fxq... #history #foodhistory
In this weeks History Commonplaces I explore Chris Park’s assessment of Charles Butler’s The Feminine Monarchie - a beekeeping manual from 17th century England which first popularised the idea that the leader bee is a Queen! historycommonplaces.substack.com/p/chris-park... #beekeeping #history
Chris Park's assessment of Charles Butler's The Feminine Monarchie (1623)
In the early 17th century, Charles Butler wrote a beekeeping manual which granted him the title 'father of English beekeeping'. In this essay we explore a presentation by Chris Park 400 years later.
historycommonplaces.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:15 AM
In this weeks History Commonplaces I explore Chris Park’s assessment of Charles Butler’s The Feminine Monarchie - a beekeeping manual from 17th century England which first popularised the idea that the leader bee is a Queen! historycommonplaces.substack.com/p/chris-park... #beekeeping #history
Looking forward to launching season 2 of our podcast, The Hungry Historians, tomorrow. Look out for another dive into the world of food history open.spotify.com/show/2dd70WM... #food #history
Kelly A. Spring - SPAM
open.spotify.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Looking forward to launching season 2 of our podcast, The Hungry Historians, tomorrow. Look out for another dive into the world of food history open.spotify.com/show/2dd70WM... #food #history