Regency food

Regency food was very different from present-day English fare in almost every single respect. For one thing, it would not be possible, in our modern safety-conscious world, for anyone to consume the sheer quantity of food and drink normally taken at a single Regency meal, except under close medical supervision. Indeed, when the BBC covered the Regency period in their Supersizers series, one of the presenters, Sue Perkins, temporarily swelled up to five times her normal size and was forced to confine herself to radio work for several weeks. Her co-presenter, Giles Coren, fared little better, suffering a badly aggravated unstressed syllable.

Breakfast

Breakfast was normally taken at around 10AM and consisted largely of bread as well as various forms of cake, this being several decades before the arrival of John Harvey Kellogg and his crusade against master bakers. It was not unusual to get through as much as half a pound cake in a single sitting. This might be followed by a brace of guinea fowl, making a grand total of 31/-, a considerable amount of food even before converting to present-day decimal value. This was washed down with tea, coffee or - more frequently - half a pint of gin. For the children of the household, this was watered down slightly, the resulting drink being referred to as small gin. Liver disease was a constant blight among the offspring of the landed gentry.

Luncheon

Luncheon consisted of a selection of meats, such as half a pig or trollope's trolleys, a simple dish consisting of a pair of legs of venison, served either crossed or splayed, depending on the season. This would be accompanied by a bottle or two of a robust claret, such as Chute de l'Echo.