As owner of The Fork Front, I have a wealth of experience working as a consultant, researcher, writer and speaker with organizations such as the BBC, The Atlantic,and the National Women’s History Museum. When working with clients, I draw on this experience to provide customized knowledge and facilitate broader understanding about the historical contexts of food. My goal is to provide the most comprehensive consultation, writing, researching and speaking services pertaining to food history.
Services offered include customized, comprehensive histories of organizations, businesses, individual foods, and brand names. Cookbook support and facilitation, commissioned works on any topic pertaining to food, course and lecture design and delivery, and the creation of educational materials, guest speaker or lecturer. I work across all areas of media (digital and print), including television, film, radio, podcast, blog, articles, and books.
Below, you will find recent examples of my work in these different areas:
Food Consultant and Researcher
The Atlantic, “The Experiment” podcast, Episode 45: “Uncle Spam” Feb. 3, 2022, The Experiment – The Atlantic
Food Writer and Blogger
Food History Speaker (radio, television, podcast)
Deutschlandfunk Kultur, “Spam – the new hype about British canned meat”, December 10, 2022, Spam – der neue Hype ums britische Dosenfleisch (deutschlandfunkkultur.de)
BBC Radio 4, “The Food Programme”, Episode: “SPAM: food + war + memory in a can” May 1, 2022. BBC Sounds.
“Feeding Europe Under British Rationing: Relief Efforts for the Continent After the Second World War”, 2019. Institute of Historical Research Food History Seminar. YouTube Recording
“SPAM Goes to War: British Perceptions of American Food Relief in World War II”, 2022, Institute of Historical Research Food History Seminar. YouTube Recording
Food History Education
Course Design and Lecture Examples
- American University, WRT 101 – “Food and the City: Exploring Washington, D.C.’s Foodscape-Past, Present, and Future.”
- George Washington University, UW 1020 – “Pandemic Food Experiences”
- George Mason University, NUTR 494/594 – “Special Topics: Pandemic and U.S. Food Systems”
- University of Southern Maine, EYE 199 – “Introduction to Food Systems”; FSP 200 – “Food, Power, and Social Justice
Educational Materials and Museum Displays
Spring et. al, “Online Learning and Community-Engaged Pedagogy During a Global Health Crisis: Teaching Food Studies & COVID-19”, Food, Culture & Society, (2022), https://doi.org/10.1080/15528014.2022.2148085
Being Human Festival 2019, “Eating Under Fire: Food Rationing in WWII Britain and Italy”, National War Museum, Edinburgh, Scotland
Being Human Festival 2016, “Ice Cream by the Sea”, Institute of Historical Research, University of London
Service Rates
Rates vary according to the needs and custom order of clients. Please get in contact with me by filling out this form to provide details about your needs and how I can assist you.
Contact Me
Dr. Kelly A. Spring, owner of The Fork Front, is available to consult, research and write on a wide range of food history projects and activities in a variety of media formats, such as exhibitions, films, podcasts, blogs, and television. Dr. Spring is also available for bespoke publications centered on the food history of particular institutions, such as historic restaurants or business. If you would like to contact Dr. Spring about working on your food history project, please complete the contact form below:
