Join food historian Dr Neil Buttery and ceramics expert Paul Crane FSA in a presentation discussing the role of sugar – and the associated enslavement of African peoples – in the growth and development of the British Empire and Worcester Porcelain in the 18th century. Neil will explore how the reach of what is termed the ‘sugar-slave complex’ was all-pervading, influencing the sale and evolution of fancy goods, especially those associated with the tea table, which, of course, included porcelain. As a case study, Paul will focus on the evolution of the sucrier in the first 50 years of Worcester Porcelain.

​Dr Neil Buttery is a multi award-winning food historian, author, podcaster, and chef who specialises in the social history of British food. He hosts The British Food History Podcast and co-hosts A is for Apple: An Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink. His publications include A Dark History of Sugar, Before Mrs Beeton: Elizabeth Raffald, England’s Most Influential Housekeeper, Knead to Know: A History of Baking, and The Philosophy of Puddings. Dr Buttery has recently collaborated with the Museum of Royal Worcester on multi projects to deliver narratives on the history of food and porcelain to wider communities. His permanent display ‘Dr Wall’s Dinner’ at MoRW recently won the Food on Display Award at the British Library Food Season Awards in 2025.

Paul Crane FSA is an independent historian and consultant to the Brian Haughton Gallery, London. He is a descendant of Dr. John Wall (1708-1776) who founded the Worcester Porcelain Manufactory in 1751.  Paul presently sits as a Trustee of the Museum of Royal Worcester, formerly the Dyson Perrins Museum in the city of Worcester. He also is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, an independent historian and researcher, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars.

Image: An exceptionally rare early Dr Wall Worcester Sucrier and Cover with Flame finial, circa 1753. A unique example retaining its cover, the shape derived from silver. Ex Rous Lench collection Worcestershire.