Editing Elizabeth David (section)

===Later years===
[[File:Eagle-range-1909.jpg|thumb|alt=drawing of old cooking range with two ovens|[[Edwardian era|Edwardian]] cooking range: an illustration in ''[[English Bread and Yeast Cookery]]'' (1977)]]

Elizabeth David Ltd was never more than modestly profitable, but David would not lower her standards in search of a commercial return. A new manager was brought in to run the shop and David fought against many of his changes, but she was always in the minority against her fellow directors.<ref>Cooper, pp. 268–269</ref> The stress of disagreements over company policy—and the deaths of her sister Diana in March 1971 and her mother in June 1973—contributed to health problems and she suffered from chronic fatigue and swollen, ulcerous legs.<ref>Cooper, pp. 263 and 271–272</ref> Gradually her business partners found her commercial approach unsustainable, and in 1973 she left the company. To her annoyance, the shop continued to trade under her name, although she tried periodically to persuade her former colleagues to change it.<ref name=dnb/>

David's second book on English food was ''[[English Bread and Yeast Cookery]]'', which she spent five years researching and writing.<ref>David (1977). p. xi</ref> The work covered the history of bread-making in England and an examination of each ingredient used.<ref>Cooper, p. 278</ref> She was angered by the standard of bread in Britain and wrote:

<blockquote>What is utterly dismaying is the mess our milling and baking concerns succeed in making with the dearly bought grain that goes into their grist. Quite simply it is wasted on a nation that cares so little about the quality of its bread that it has allowed itself to be mesmerized into buying the equivalent of eight and a quarter million large white factory-made loaves every day of the year.<ref>David (1977). p. 11</ref>{{refn|In the book, David reproduced a newspaper cartoon published during a bakers' strike in 1974, showing one housewife telling another, "I've been giving them sliced bathroom sponge, and they haven't noticed yet."<ref>David (1977), p. 192</ref>|group=n}}</blockquote>

In 1977 David was badly injured in a car accident—sustaining a fractured left elbow and right wrist, a damaged knee cap and a broken jaw—from which she took a long time to recover.<ref>Cooper, p. 287; and Cooper, p. 427</ref> While she was in hospital, ''English Bread and Yeast Cookery'' was published. Its scholarship won high praise, and [[Jane Grigson]], writing in ''The Times Literary Supplement'', suggested that a copy of the book should be given to every marrying couple,<ref>Grigson, Jane. "The life-giving loaf", ''The Times Literary Supplement'', 2 December 1977, p. 404</ref> while [[Hilary Spurling]], reviewing for ''The Observer'', thought that not only was it "a scathing indictment of the British bread industry", but one done with "orderliness, authority, phenomenal scope and fastidious attention to detail".<ref name=unnatural>Spurling, Hilary. "Unnatural practices", ''The Observer'', 18 December 1977, p. 25</ref>

[[File:Elizabeth David gravestone.JPG|thumb|upright|alt=gravestone with inscription to Elizabeth David|Elizabeth David's grave, St Peter's, [[Folkington]]]]

Some of the research David undertook for ''English Bread and Yeast Cookery'' was done with [[Jill Norman]], her friend and publisher.<ref>David (2001), p. xi</ref> The pair decided that they should produce two further books: ''Ice and Ices'' and a collection of David's early journalism. Like her book on bread, the scope for ''Ice and Ices'' grew the more David researched the subject. The compilation of existing essays and press articles took less time, and in 1984 ''[[Elizabeth David bibliography#An Omelette and a Glass of Wine (1984)|An Omelette and a Glass of Wine]]'' was published, edited by Norman who became David's literary executor and edited further David works after the author's death.<ref>David (2001), p. ix; and Cooper, pp. 304 and 307</ref>

The death in 1986 of her younger sister Felicité, who had lived in the top floor of her house for thirty years, was a severe blow to David. She began to suffer from [[Depression (mood)|depression]] and went to the doctor after suffering chest pains; he diagnosed [[tuberculosis]] and she was hospitalised. After an uncomfortable time over a three-month stay in hospital, where the drugs she was prescribed had side-effects that affected her clarity of thinking, her friend, the wine importer and writer [[Gerald Asher]], arranged for her to stay with him in [[California]] to recuperate.<ref>Cooper, pp. 313–315</ref>

David made several visits to California, which she much enjoyed, but her health began to fail. Because her legs had been troublesome for some time, she suffered a succession of falls which resulted in several spells in hospital.<ref name=dnb/> She became increasingly reclusive but, despite spending periods in bed at home, she continued to work on ''Ice and Ices''.<ref name=prince>[[Rose Prince (writer)|Prince, Rose]]. "Elizabeth the First". ''The Independent'', 5 October 1997, p. 7</ref> She realised that she would not be able to finish the work, and asked Norman to complete it for her. It was published in 1994, under the title ''[[Elizabeth David bibliography#Harvest of the Cold Months (1994)|Harvest of the Cold Months]]''.<ref>Cooper, p. 335</ref>

In May 1992 David suffered a stroke followed two days later by another, which was fatal; she died at her Chelsea home on 22 May 1992, aged 78. She was buried on 28 May at the family [[church of St Peter ad Vincula, Folkington]]. That September a memorial service was held at [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]], London, followed by a memorial picnic at the [[Institute of Contemporary Arts]].<ref name=dnb/>{{refn|Among the mourners were cooks, including [[Julia Child]], [[Sophie Grigson]], [[Simon Hopkinson]], [[Anton Mosimann]], [[Jennifer Paterson]] and [[Alice Waters]]; and writers including [[Derek Cooper (journalist)|Derek Cooper]], [[Matthew Fort]], [[Hugh Johnson (wine writer)|Hugh Johnson]] and [[Jancis Robinson]].<ref>"Memorial service: Mrs Elizabeth David", ''The Times'', 11 September 1992, p. 14</ref> At the picnic, prepared by Hopkinson of Bibendum, Sally Clarke of Clarke's and Martin Lam of [[L'Escargot (restaurant)|L'Escargot]], dishes were made from David's recipes: bocconcini with basil leaves; marinated lentil and goat cheese salad; baby beetroot and chives; spiced aubergine salad; Piedmontese peppers; salade de museau; grilled tuna, red onion and beans; and autumn fruits with fromage frais.<ref>Rhodes, Tom. "Mourners picnic in memorial to David", ''The Times'', 11 September 1992, p. 3</ref>|group=n}} In February 1994 David's possessions were put up for auction. Many of those who attended—and who bid—were fans of David's work, rather than professional dealers. Prue Leith paid £1,100 for David's old kitchen table because it was "where she cooked her omelettes and wrote most of her books". The auction's total receipts were three times the expected value.<ref>Cooper, pp. xi–xii</ref><ref>Bowcott, Owen. "Elizabeth David mementos send foodies stir crazy", ''The Guardian'', 23 February 1994, p. 5</ref>