Lisa Heathcote works as the food economist on the show, actually preparing all the items seen onscreen. One complication is that multiple versions of one food dish can often be needed to make sure the dish looks the same throughout many takes – Heathcote recalls making 90 mini-jellies for one single dinner. "I knew they would melt and not look good after a while," she said.

Nick Briggs/PBS/AP
Lesley Nicol (l.) and Sophie McShera (r.) star on 'Downton Abbey'