There will be two more opportunities in 2025 to see the kitchen of the great composer G.F. Handel come to life with the smells and sounds of Georgian cookery. The next will be on Saturday & Sunday, September 27 & 28, 2025 between 10.00 – 17.00 followed by another on Saturday & Sunday, December 13 & 14, 2025 – when the house will be decorated for Christmas.
The weekends will be led by expert food historians Marc Meltonville and Robert Hoare who will be cooking food and preparing drinks that Handel would have shared with his friends and colleagues. Dressed in the uniforms of Georgian chefs, Marc and Robert will reveal the mysteries of 18th century cooking techniques and bring the kitchen to life by creating meticulouslyresearch recipes only using utensils of the time.
Handel’s kitchen is part of the Handel Hendrix House museum on Brook Street, Mayfair – close to Bond Street and Oxford Circus tube stations.
As Simon Daniels, Director, Handel Hendrix House, explains: “It is a faithfully re-created Georgian townhouse kitchen and the only one of its type open to the public in London. This unique space is equipped with everything a Georgian cook would need to create the latest dishes which were arriving from France, and which changed the future of British dining.
Visitors can explore the shelves lined with handmade pewter, ceramics, and discover what 18th century wine bottles looked like.”
Handel’s cook provided tasty refreshments and sustenance for a steady stream of musicians coming to Brook Street to rehearse for Handel’s upcoming performances, patrons who came for a preview of the latest opera tunes, and numerous friends. It is even possible that music and cooking skills combined with bass singer Gustavus Waltz who sang for Handel and, for a time, seems to have served as Handel’s cook!
Please note, it is not possible to taste or handle the food prepared during this event.
The demonstrations are included in general admission. Tickets also include access to all of Handel’s beautifully re-created house, exhibits including an audiovisual display about Messiah, and Jimi Hendrix’s flat. Hendrix, lived in a flat in the adjoining 23 Brook Street 1968-69 and his Hendrix’s bedroom has been evocatively restored and exhibitions explore the rock legend’s career, impact and legacy. More details can be found at www.handelhendrix.org