In the early 1830s, while most households still relied on smoky coal ranges and temperamental open fires, something remarkable was happening in Northampton.
Inside a lecture room belonging to the town’s Mechanics’ Institute, a crowd gathered to watch what must surely count as the world’s first gas-cooked dinner party.
A full meal. Multiple courses. All cooked entirely by gas, decades before most of Britain had even seen a gas stove.
And it happened right here, in Northamptonshire.
James Sharp and his ‘ingenious Gas Cooking Apparatus’
The star of the evening was James Sharpe, an engineer and inventor associated with the Northampton Gas Light Company.
Sharpe was a hands-on experimenter, the sort of Victorian tinkerer who tested his own ideas in real settings, installing early models in local premises and refining them through public demonstrations.
He became fascinated by the potential of gas not just for illumination but for heat, and in 1826 he patented what is widely regarded as one of the world’s first practical gas cookers.
To prove his invention wasn’t just a clever toy, Sharp arranged a public demonstration. A newspaper report from the time describes the scene:
This wasn’t a lecture, or a technical talk. It was a proper Victorian event, complete with a hearty menu that would put many restaurants to shame.
The Menu: A Masterclass in Early Gas Cuisine
Sharpe cooked (in front of the entire audience) an astonishing spread:
All in one session. All by gas. This might not sound outlandish to us, but then we live in a post-Sharpe world!
As the food cooked, Sharpe delivered what the article praises as a “full and amusing lecture,” explaining how the apparatus worked and why it was safe, efficient, and far cleaner than the coal ranges people were used to.
A Dinner Party by Any Other Name
When the cooking was complete, something wonderful happened …
… The entire room tucked into the world’s first gas-cooked feast.
The food vanished quickly, the crowd applauded loudly, and a vote of thanks was carried with enthusiasm. The event was so popular that Sharpe had to schedule a repeat performance the following Monday, as they could not accommodate everyone who wanted to attend.
This was not just a demonstration, not just a lecture. It was a dinner party, one that introduced a brand-new technology to the world.
A Northampton First That Deserves More Recognition
Gas cookers wouldn’t become commercially common until the 1880s, meaning for a brief moment, Northampton wasn’t just ahead of its time – it was leading the world in kitchen innovation.
And the best part?
The whole thing began with a man, an experiment, and a very hungry audience.
Northampton: home of the world’s first gas-cooked dinner party.
Not a bad title to add to the town’s CV!
Sources
Knibb, D. (2019) Last Orders – A History and Directory of Northampton Pubs and Inns
Northampton Mercury (1836) 12 March
Jack Preston 