FOOD AND DRINK

Kaitlin Franklin and Kayla Jones

Markets Had to shop for food

almost everyday Leadenhall

“It is extraordinary to see the great quantity of the meat—beef an mutton—that comes everyday from the slaughter-houses in this city, let alone the meat that is sold at a special market every Wednesday for meat brought in from the city.”

Stocks Market, Cornhill and Cheapside, Newgate Street, St Nicholas Shambles, Eastcheap, Gracechurch Street, Fish Street, Queenhithe, Billingsgate, Southwark, Smithfield.

More With Markets

Under control of Lord Mayor. All prices were fixed.

Slaughterhouses 3 offences connected with markets:

Forestalling Engrossing Regrating

Open 6 days a week. Bakers

127 master bakers in 1559 Other food shops Street Sellers

Fish Days

No ‘flesh’ during Lent

Act of 1563 Flesh-eating Licence Lenten Butchers ‘fish’ vs. ‘flesh’

Cooking and Recipes

French cooking was fashionable

Ovens Spices No quantities, No

timing device, no thermostat, dependent on experience and common sense.

Meals

Breakfast would have been simply weak beer and butter bread.

2 cooked meals every day

4-6 dishes on table when entertaining guests, half that

“appurtenances” = sauces

Midday dinner was the main meal.

Courses

First course:“potage or stewed broth. Boiled meat or stewed

meat. Chickens and bacon. Powdered (salted) beef. Pies. Goose. Pig. Roast beef. Roast veal. Custard.”

Second course:“Roasted lamb. Roasted capons. Roasted conies

(rabbits). Chickens. Baked venison. Tart.”

Still Hungry?“A dozen quails. A dish of larks. Two pasties of red

deer in a dish. Tart. Gingerbread. Fritters.”

Table Manners

Wynkyn de Worde’s The Book of Kervinge(38 special terms for carving)

And don’t forget the sauce! “Fingers before forks” Be careful where you sit.

*Look for the salt On the table:

plate, spoon. Glasses were provided later

Table Manners cont’d

Dig in! Passing of the food was chaotic and took a long time

Chafing dish used to warm food Grace is said at beginning

and end of meal

Drink

Men would slap each other on the shoulders and shout “Frolic!” and pat women on the belly.

Grey’s Inn custom to pass a massive silver loving cup with hippocras (spiced wine)

Wine was subject to a fixed rate

Act against Smuggling of 1559 –severe penalties.

There’s always room for more drink Wine- quickens a man’s wits Ale- makes an Englishman strong Beer- makes an Englishman fat and

inflates the belly Queen Elizabeth was fond of metheglin,

distilled from honey and herbs

Eating out

Inns were frequented by the English for meals.

Set up partitions between tables Wine served in ‘sealed quarts’ Some would come to eat just to be seen

“amongst cavaliers and brave courtiers”

QUESTIONS!

1. What were the 3 offences connected with markets?

2. How often did people have to shop for food?3. What was cooking dependent upon?4. What was Queen Elizabeth’s drink of

choice?5. What is a chafing dish?6. What is an appurtenance? 7. What drink is favored in the custom at

Grey’s Inn?