Editing Elizabethan era (section)

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England's food supply was plentiful throughout most of the reign; there were no famines. Bad harvests caused distress, but they were usually localized. The most widespread came in 1555–57 and 1596–98.<ref>John Guy (1988) ''Tudor England'', Oxford University Press, pp. 30–31 {{ISBN|0192852132}}</ref> In the towns the price of staples was fixed by law; in hard times the size of the loaf of bread sold by the baker was smaller.<ref>{{cite journal |author=R. H. Britnell |title=Price-setting in English borough markets, 1349–1500 |journal=Canadian Journal of History |year=1996 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=1–15 |doi=10.3138/cjh.31.1.1 |url=https://www.usask.ca/history/cjh/e/iss/text/96/brit_496.shtml |issn=0008-4107 |access-date=18 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112095605/http://www.usask.ca/history/cjh/e/iss/text/96/brit_496.shtml |archive-date=12 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Trade and industry flourished in the 16th century, making England more prosperous and improving the standard of living of the upper and middle classes. However, the lower classes did not benefit much and did not always have enough food. As the English population was fed by its own agricultural produce, a series of bad harvests in the 1590s caused widespread starvation and poverty. The success of the wool trading industry decreased attention on agriculture, resulting in further starvation of the lower classes. Cumbria, the poorest and most isolated part of England, suffered a six-year famine beginning in 1594. Diseases and natural disasters also contributed to the scarce food supply.<ref>Andrew B. Appleby (1978) ''Famine in Tudor and Stuart England''. Stanford University Press.</ref>

In the 17th century, the food supply improved. England had no food crises from 1650 to 1725, a period when France was unusually vulnerable to famines. Historians point out that oat and barley prices in England did not always increase following a failure of the wheat crop, but did do so in France.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Andrew B. Appleby|title=Grain Prices and Subsistence Crises in England and France, 1590–1740|journal=The Journal of Economic History|volume=39|issue=4|pages=865–887|jstor=2120334|doi=10.1017/S002205070009865X|year=1979|s2cid=154494239 }}</ref>

England was exposed to new foods (such as the [[potato]] imported from South America), and developed new tastes during the era. The more prosperous enjoyed a wide variety of food and drink, including exotic new drinks such as tea, coffee, and chocolate. French and Italian chefs appeared in the country houses and palaces bringing new standards of food preparation and taste. For example, the English developed a taste for acidic foods—such as oranges for the upper class—and started to use vinegar heavily. The gentry paid increasing attention to their gardens, with new fruits, vegetables and herbs; pasta, pastries, and dried mustard balls first appeared on the table. The apricot was a special treat at fancy banquets. Roast beef remained a staple for those who could afford it. The rest ate a great deal of bread and fish. Every class had a taste for beer and rum.<ref>Joan Thirsk (2006) ''Food in Early Modern England: Phases, Fads, Fashions 1500–1760'', Continuum, {{ISBN|0826442331}}</ref>