The Glasgow Cookery Book

A revised copy of The Glasgow Cookery Book from 1940, which was given as a prize for excellency in the domestic sciences at a Dunoon grammar school in the early 1940s. Its widespread popularity in Glasgow and the west of Scotland holds additional personal relevance for me, as Glasgow is my hometown and has been ‘home’ to my family for generations.

The copy of the cookbook in this story has rather imprecise origins: it has been passed along from person to person with its initial owner being unknown. It was acquired by my grandmother from a friend of hers who also lives in Glasgow. However, this friend was not actually the original owner of this book -- he too, had it passed on to him from someone else. However, the name of the first recipient of this book can be found inside. A small certificate for the subject prize for which this cookbook was awarded is glued to the first page: the name of the first owner is Julia Thomson, a student at the grammar school in the early 1940s.

The first edition of the Glasgow Cookery Book was published in 1909 as a handbook for the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science. The College -- colloquially known as the “Dough” -- was a meaningful institution in the lives of many women in early 20th century Glasgow. Significantly, the large number of students at the College reflects the influence industrialization had on the city during this time period. This specific context proved conducive for the subtle yet profound impact of the College - and its popular handbook - on Glasgow, and, more broadly, on Scotland.

Despite Scottish cuisine being something rather unknown and unextraordinary, the popularity of the cookery book allowed it to have a significant, if not also overlooked, influence on the development and maintenance of Scottish culinary identity within the country’s borders.