April 15 marks the hundred-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Andrew Webb looks at the doomed liner's menus, and where to sample Titanic inspired dishes today.
We’re all familiar with the Titanic story, mainly thanks to the efforts of James Cameron on the big screen, and now Julian Fellowes on the one in our living rooms. What’s of particular interest to us, though, is the food served on the ship.
Titanic’s menus
When the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11.40 pm many of the passengers onboard had enjoyed a fine dinner. A few menus from that ‘night to remember’ survive. One sold recently for £76,000. You can read them here and here. It’s worth noting that a lot of websites talking about the food served on Titanic erroneously assume that all diners ate the same things; when in fact, just like a menu today, diners would have chosen one or two dishes from each section.
First class - This was the life: breakfast included classics such as grilled mutton kidneys and bacon, fresh herrings, smoked haddock and salmon. Lunch sees soup and smaller dishes to start, followed by a choice of freshly cooked items from the grill or something from the buffet, then cheese. Dinner, however, is where things get really interesting - oysters, consommé, the fish course, then lamb, duck or beef, followed by roast squab, more vegetables, pate de foie gras, and finally pudding.
Second class - the kitchen that served the first class dining rooms also served the second class, so the food was likely to be similar. It too is of a high standard: soup to start, fish or chicken curry, lamb and mint sauce, or roast turkey. Then plum pudding, ice-cream or fruit for dessert.
Third class - What’s interesting about the third class menu is that the food was probably better than those passengers had experienced at home. But more importantly it reads as a fairly balanced healthy diet by today’s standards: porridge or fish and toast for breakfast, soup followed by meat and two veg for lunch and dinner, with plenty of fruit too.
Titanic inspired menus today
If you’re in Northern Ireland (where Titanic was built) you can visit the Titanic Belfast museum for a bite to eat, or Rayanne House are doing a Titanic-themed dinner this weekend. However if you’re near London then Mark Hix has laid on a special Titanic menu at Selfridges which is available until April 29.
Starter
Four Lindisfarne rock oysters
Wye Valley asparagus vinaigrette
Duck liver parfait with toasted brioche and Kingston black jelly
Main course
Poached Loch Duart salmon with mousseline sauce and stonecrop
Spring chicken saute with morels and wild garlic
Chargrilled lamb cutlets with cucumber and mint
Pudding
Waldolf pudding with cider brandy ice cream
Peaches in Chartreuse jelly
The iceberg
The final pudding is Hix’s take on the chocolate and vanilla éclairs served in first class, and is by far the most popular according to Selfridges’ press office.
Exploring the wreck
The first class dining rooms were located on D deck, between the second and third funnels. Being in the centre of the ship gave the 500 diners the smoothest ride. Here’s a video of James Cameron exploring the dining room.
Buy the book
If you want find out more about the food eaten on the Titanic there are a couple of books that look in detail at the subject - Rick Archebold’s The Last Dinner on the Titanic, and Dinner is Served, by Yvonne Hulme (who is the great niece of Titanic's first violinist John Law Hume, fact fans).
And if money really is no object you could fly to Hong Kong today for this HK$15,000 (£1,212) Titanic-themed dinner, which includes a bottle of 1907 Heidsieck & Co Monopole Gout Americain brought up from the actual ship itself.
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