Dining in Westeros

A hallmark of the Song of Ice and Fire books are the rich and lavish descriptions given by George R.R. Martin to the food and feasts the various characters take part in, from a seventy-seven course wedding feast in King's Landing to a grand celebration in Winterfell to celebrate the arrival of King Robert to the tough meat and gruel 'enjoyed' by the members of the impoverished Night's Watch.

The Artisans: Richard Roberts

For the television series, HBO are clearly taking this facet of the books seriously, expending a significant amount of effort on making sure the food looks real and appropriate to its location. In the above video, set decorator Richard Roberts explains how they detail the sets with foodstuffs and how much of it is real and edible and how much is not. Particularly interesting is the news that the TV production team see Winterfell much as it is in the books, but the capital city of King's Landing (1,500 miles to the south) is seen as more of a Mediterranean climate and culture, with more exotic food and spices available. Given that the exteriors of King's Landing are being filmed on the Mediterranean island of Malta, this cultural shift is appropriate, if a little more of a difference than there was in the books.

The production has roughly a month left to run before filming ends, with a transmission date still expected in March or April 2011.

According to Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) on her Facebook page:

"Game of thrones is coming to the end of the season one shoot and I can tell you that I believe even the most ardent fans will be smiling in 2011. Everyone has brought their A game. Amazing scripts,sets,costumes and a diverse group of interesting/talented actors. Winter is definitely coming.

It was -4 in Belfast the other night...Home sweet warm home is but a few days away"