"A hundred years ago, British food was in its golden age, with the arrival of the great restaurant, the celebrity chef, exotic new dishes, and gargantuan 12 course meals." Giles Coren.
King Edward VII led the way. As Prince of Wales, he swept aside lengthy meals and encouraged service "a la russe" (which means "service in the Russian style) --- courses being brought to the table sequentially. This King introduced, via his great appetite, the trend for copious, rich, luxurious eating habits.
The restaurant dinner reached Britain by the 1880s. The act of dining in public was viewed, at first, warily. Gentlemen were already used to dining at their clubs, middle-class men ate in steak shops and those of the working class ate at oyster shops or food stands along the streets. For ladies, the thought of eating out in a place where strangers could gawk and stare was abhorrent. The breaking down of social barriers contributed to the custom of "dining out" by the 1890s. Both ladies and gentlemen eagerly partook of the opportunity to leave their homes to see and be seen in the glamorous setting of a restaurant of the highest class.
Exotic dishes were created to meet the demands from aristocratic gourmands.What was the ultimate Edwardian recipe ?
A rich, extravagant dish comprised of pate gras stuffed inside of a truffle, which was stuffed inside of an ortolan, itself stuffed inside of a quail.
By the close of the 19th Century, meal times were pushed back, so to avoid rumbling tummies, smaller meals were inserted between breakfast and dinner. Lunch and afternoon tea. Another sort of tea --- with hot muffins, crumpets, toast, cold salmon, pies, ham, roast beef, fruit, cream and tea and coffee --- found its way into the more active and informal program of the country house.
It seemed that the Edwardians never stopped eating. From the time they rose, to even the times they awoke in the middle of the night, food was always ready and available. A typical English breakfast consisted of haddock, kidneys, kedgeree, porridge, game pie, tongue, poached eggs, bacon, chicken and woodcock. Luncheon would include hot and cold dishes; cold fowls, lamb, pigeon, cold pie and ptarmigan (a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family), puddings, cheeses, biscuits and jellies and fruit.
Supper now being served "a la russe" allowed for a greater sample of dishes and number of courses grew. To sit down to a ten to fifteen course meal was quite the norm. Guests were not required or expected to partake of each and every course, and the parade of dishes included; hors d'oeuvres, soups, salads, vegetables, meats - poultry, game beef, mutton, and pork, seafood, puddings, breads, savouries and fruits, as well as a number of wines to compliment each course. A little different to our meals today !
For those of smaller means, they could still have their "elaborate" meals. Name brands and modern processed foods started to appear. Marmite 1902, Ty.phoo tea 1904, Colman's mustard 1903, bouillon cubes by Maggi 1908, Oxo 1910, instant coffee 1901, Bird's custard powder 1837, Jacob's water biscuits 1881, HP Sauce 1903, Cadbury's Milk Chocolate 1824.
The appearance of refrigeration made dining much easier too.
(Info from Edwardian Gastronomy)
