THE READING TABLE: Death & Dining
Bring a book to the table: a sensory supper for book lovers and curious eaters
At GULP, we explore the world through the lens of food. The Reading Table is a gathering place where books, ideas and food come together around a shared table.
Following a series of successful events, our next Reading Table takes death as its subject.
Food and death have always been deeply entwined. We remember those we have lost through the foods we shared, the places we ate together, the recipes they cooked for us, or we cooked for them. We inherit recipe books, handwritten notes and culinary traditions that carry memories across generations.
In many cultures, food plays a central role in ceremonies of mourning and remembrance. Perhaps most famously, during Día de Muertos, loved ones are honoured with offerings of their favourite foods and drinks. Historically, in parts of Britain and Wales, the 'sin eater' would consume bread placed upon the body of the deceased, symbolically taking on their sins and helping their soul pass on. Closer to home, there is the familiar beige buffet of the funeral wake — a quietly enduring tradition woven into the fabric of British mourning.
For this gathering, we invite you to bring literature in its widest sense. It might be a dog-eared cookbook, a food-filled poem, a novel, an essay, a piece of theory, a family recipe card, or a text discovered on your travels. It could connect directly to loss, memory and remembrance, or simply offer a perspective that feels relevant to the conversation.
We'll share extracts, stories and reflections while gathering around an abundant grazing table inspired by the themes of the evening.
What tales and traditions will you bring to the table?
Hosted in GULP's intimate dining room, The Reading Table sits somewhere between a reading group, a supper club and a cultural salon — a space for curiosity, conversation and shared appetite.
Places are limited.
£40 per person, including an inspired grazing table. Drinks available to purchase separately.
Bring a book to the table: a sensory supper for book lovers and curious eaters
At GULP, we explore the world through the lens of food. The Reading Table is a gathering place where books, ideas and food come together around a shared table.
Following a series of successful events, our next Reading Table takes death as its subject.
Food and death have always been deeply entwined. We remember those we have lost through the foods we shared, the places we ate together, the recipes they cooked for us, or we cooked for them. We inherit recipe books, handwritten notes and culinary traditions that carry memories across generations.
In many cultures, food plays a central role in ceremonies of mourning and remembrance. Perhaps most famously, during Día de Muertos, loved ones are honoured with offerings of their favourite foods and drinks. Historically, in parts of Britain and Wales, the 'sin eater' would consume bread placed upon the body of the deceased, symbolically taking on their sins and helping their soul pass on. Closer to home, there is the familiar beige buffet of the funeral wake — a quietly enduring tradition woven into the fabric of British mourning.
For this gathering, we invite you to bring literature in its widest sense. It might be a dog-eared cookbook, a food-filled poem, a novel, an essay, a piece of theory, a family recipe card, or a text discovered on your travels. It could connect directly to loss, memory and remembrance, or simply offer a perspective that feels relevant to the conversation.
We'll share extracts, stories and reflections while gathering around an abundant grazing table inspired by the themes of the evening.
What tales and traditions will you bring to the table?
Hosted in GULP's intimate dining room, The Reading Table sits somewhere between a reading group, a supper club and a cultural salon — a space for curiosity, conversation and shared appetite.
Places are limited.
£40 per person, including an inspired grazing table. Drinks available to purchase separately.