Here’s How Food Was Served On The Titanic
Everyone knows the tragic story of the Titanic but besides what was portrayed in the movie about the ship, there were a lot of special things about the ship, especially the food.
The Titanic was a wonder of her era, a literal city on the ocean many desired to explore and enjoy as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Dining at sea I'd an important highlight of any passenger’s day and for all classes of passengers Titanic provided a new and different experience. The printed menu cards were filled with the latest French cuisine for 1st Class passengers while those in 2nd Class could select from dishes that rivaled most regional hotels.
Even the 3rd Class were not left out, they had to make do with plain simple food but there were lots of it and regardless of what Class one belonged to, the service was of high standards.
For 1st Class passengers dining in Titanic’s Restaurant was wonderful. They did not mind paying extra for the exclusive dining experience, service and cuisine which at the time was on par with the finest European hotels like the Ritz or Hotel Cecil in London.
Meals for each class of passenger was included in their contract ticket.
The Restaurant on the Titanic was only available for 1st Class passengers. They could dine à la carte but were required to book tables in advance.
It was a big success, so big in fact, that the next restaurant in Titanic was expanded to meet demand and even included an adjoining café.
Meals in the Restaurant cost 3/- for breakfast, 3/6- for lunch and 5/- for dinner, which in today’s money would be £7.20; £8.40 and £12 respectively.
If a passenger chose to take all his or her meals in the Restaurant an allowance of between £3-5 (£144-£240) was made off the ocean fare however this was dependent on the price paid for their ticket.
Servants who came with the passengers got their own Maids & Valets Dining Saloon which was located on Titanic’s C Deck.
They were served by uniformed White Star stewards, however their silver-plated napkin rings were not decorated and were engraved with the word ‘SERVANTS’.
They could not enjoy the privileges of 1st or 2nd Class passengers but were still considered more important than the ship’s crew and were therefore treated slightly better.
Their employers paid £15 10/- for their single passage in a four berth room; traveling in a three berth room cost about £20 and for a two berth you needed £25 (about £1,200 in today’s money). This was equivalent to the average 2nd Class fare but three times that of a 3rd Class fare.
Below are tables comprising of what the various class passengers had to eat on the Titanic
Titanic was truly a city afloat. Each class of passenger experienced higher standards of service and food provision than was available just a decade before. It was a sad tragedy when it sank however humanity learned from the experience which is what matters most.
