A wealth of facts and images about the Victorian kitchen building up a picture of life below stairs in the 19th century. The items are seasonal, where appropriate, and many recipes from the works of Eliza Acton, Mrs Beeton, Mrs Roundell and Miss Mallock are included. Various jobs are also illustrated, and extended captions on who performed the tasks are given, as are facsimiles of household accounts, advertisements for products and paintings and drawings of the key characters in the household.