The Jane Austen Centre is fantastic for not only exploring Jane Austen’s life, but also Regency life in Bath as a whole. I think that we’ve all grasped the concepts of cravats and balls. (I don’t know about you, but I’ve watched more than my fair share of Austen adaptations…) However, they get into the nitty-gritty details, like what perfume they wore and what food they ate. And to this historian’s delight, it is interactive. I can proudly say that I’ve tried a Bath speciality, the Bath Oliver Biscuit! So, what makes a Bath Oliver Biscuit so special?
No matter what your definition of biscuit is, I wouldn’t say that the Bath Oliver Biscuits are in fact biscuits. Digestive or cracker would be a more suitable term. According to the Jane Austen Centre, “The Bath Oliver Biscuit is a hard, dry biscuit which was invented by Dr. William Oliver of Bath. The ingredients were selected by Dr. Oliver to create ‘…the only biscuit that is fermented, and on that account is good for invalids suffering from acidity of the stomach, for which yeast is a corrective.” (Display info) Wealthy (or lucky) Georgians would eat these biscuits, along with drinking Bath water, for a cure to many ailments. With 43 minerals in the water and a fairly bland cracker, it would have acted as a sort of detox during an era of rich diets.
And before you have to ask, yes, I did try the biscuit myself! As you can imagine, it is incredibly bland. I don’t know that I would eat it on a regular basis but if I had a flu, it might appeal. I wouldn’t recommend seeking it out but if you find yourself in Bath, why not? (And as for having it with tea, I can think of much better things to have.)
Have you tried a Bath Oliver Biscuit? Do you think Jane herself would have enjoyed one?
Cheers,
The Historian
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