Great Christmas Dinner Expectations! 47lb turtle, reindeer tongue and 470 mince pies… 1790 festive lunch ‘bill of fare’ from pub popular with Charles Dickens sells for £2,400 at auction
- The vast bills list over 100 bizarre dishes on offer at the ‘Bush Tavern’ in Bristol
- Dickens used the pub as setting for the Pickwick Papers after visiting in 1835
- Lists from 1790 and 1800 have dishes such as turtles, eels and reindeer tongues
An 18th century ‘bill of fare’ showing a Christmas lunch menu in a pub mentioned in Charles Dickens’s novel the Pickwick Papers has sold for £2,400.
The pair of vast bills list over 100 bizarre dishes and were issued by the landlord of the ‘Bush Tavern’ in Bristol in 1790 and 1800.
The leading coaching inn was made famous by writer Dickens who used it as a setting for his first novel after visiting in 1835.
The lists include dishes such as turtles, eels, reindeer tongues, hogs’ feet and veal head.
An 18th century ‘bill of fare’ showing a Christmas lunch menu in a pub mentioned in Charles Dickens’s novel the Pickwick Papers has sold for £2,400. The pair of vast bills list over 100 bizarre dishes and were issued by the landlord of the ‘Bush Tavern’ in Bristol in 1790 and 1800
They went on sale on December 15 at Dominic Winter Auctioneers, in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and were expected to go for between £500 – £800 – but went for £2,400.
The list features the archaic ‘long s’, which looks like a lower case F and was then very common.
The 1790 bill of fare includes a roasting pig, reindeer tongue and a 47-pound turtle, whilst the 1800 menu includes a 120-pound turtle.
Numerous birds are listed including cuckoo, owls, golden plovers, swan, larks, sea pheasants (pintail duck) and stares (starlings).
Many of the items are described in odd quantities, such as 122 eels, 208 small birds, 94 wild ducks and 470 minced pies.
Turkeys were apparently plentiful both years too.
The leading coaching inn was made famous by writer Dickens who used it as a setting for his famous novel (cover shown right) after visiting in 1835
Many of the items are described in odd quantities, such as 122 eels, 208 small birds, 94 wild ducks and 470 minced pies. Above:
The 1800 menu features owls, eels, oysters, roasting pig, 11 rabbits and hogs’ feet and ears
The tavern remained open until the mid 19th century and the building which housed it was later occupied by a branch of Lloyds Bank.
The Pickwick Papers was Dickens’ first work to receive public acclaim.
Written in serialized form at the tender age of 24, Dickens balanced writing this episodic work with his job as a court reporter.
The book was the first novel in Britain to become a publishing phenomenon, with merchandise and theatrical performances following its release.
It was published over the course of 20 months in 19 separate issues which accompanied illustrations by Robert Seymour.
The building which once housed the tavern is now occupied by a branch of Lloyds Bank