‘An absolutely riveting book – reading it makes you intelligent, full of brilliant anecdotes – and very hungry indeed.’ – Richard Curtis
‘This brilliantly conceived and well-researched book is a source of real delight.’ – Dr Annie Gray, BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet
‘Superbly written, a complete joy to read, and just about the perfect present for anyone even vaguely interested in food.’ – Mark Diacono
‘A gastronomic delight. You can savour it a course at a time, or you may consume the whole banquet in one sitting. It’s delicious either way – utterly scrumptious, in fact!’ – Mike Leigh
This fascinating miscellany of menus from around the world will educate as well as entertain, delighting both avid foodies and the general reader.
Each menu provides an insight into its particular historical moment – from the typical food on offer in a nineteenth-century workhouse to the opulence of George IV’s gargantuan coronation dinner. Some menus are linked with a specific and unforgettable event such as The Hindenburg’s last flight menu or the variety of meals on offer for First, Second and Third Class passengers on board RMS Titanic, while others give an insight into sport, such as the 1963 FA Cup Final Dinner or transport and travel with the luxury lunch on board the Orient Express. Also included are literary occasions like Charles’ Dickens 1868 dinner at Delmonicos in New York as well as the purely fictional and fantastical fare of Ratty’s picnic in The Wind in the Willows.
