So outrage-seekers have discovered the National Trust’s scones are vegan. As a Trust member for nearly 40 years, diagnosed with cow’s milk protein intolerance over 30 years ago I can confirm dairy-free scones and cakes have been available for years. No one else ever seems to notice, and it makes solid business sense to cater for every potential customer when income from tea rooms supports the Trust’s work. (continues)
This is a great improvement on the days, decades ago, when I would drink Earl Grey tea with lemon, without even a biscuit, while the rest of my family enjoyed their cream tea.
If you encounter those who claim dietary intolerances didn’t exist in the past, they’re wrong. These are among the unrecognised medical conditions which historically lay behind ‘failure to thrive’, as well as deaths of children and teens from recurrent infections as their immune systems struggled under this burden. (ends)
@JulietEMcKenna And even if the intolerances didn't kill children, they were still recognized among adults. I'm thinking of all the 19th century books about people with dyspepsia, or how someone who was generally lucky or healthy was described as having 'good digestion'.
Then there's poor Mr Woodhouse, in Emma, who can't stomach anything other than very thin gruel. Dietary intolerances were definitely behind at least some of that, I'm sure, even if they were described with different words.
@ergative Absolutely! It's an area where social history can be learned from fiction instead of books focused on the great deeds of great white men. I was having a conversation about the history of clothing and textiles within 18th and 19 century novels just this past weekend :)