In early 19th century England, if you belonged to the fortunate classes who dressed for dinner each evening and sat down at an elegant table, you would have expected at least five courses, including appetizers and soups, roast meats, pies, game birds, and desserts. Dinner was eaten early, usually around 5pm, as fashionable people had evening engagements to prepare for or, and if they were holding a dinner party at home, the company would adjourn to the drawing room after the meal for entertainment.

The bill of fare (left) is from John Simpson’s A Complete System of Cookery (1805), one of the new-fangled cook books that quickly became indispensable to housekeepers. This was the type of meal served in genteel homes well into the 1830s. The cook and kitchen maids started early, preparing the menu items ordained by the mistress of the house. While most middle-class homes in London had running water by 1760, refrigeration was confined to the very wealthy, who had ice-houses stocked with massive blocks hauled from Scotland and Norway.

The beau monde grew their fruit and vegetables in sprawling gardens and hothouses at their country seats. Many had produce and game shipped to them in town during the Season.  Wealthy city households arranged for daily deliveries of fresh ingredients from various merchants and warehouses.

The more prestigious the household, the more prolific the courses. If you’ve seen television shows like the BBC classic Pride and Prejudice (1995) or, more recently, Netflix’s inventive Bridgerton (2021), you have probably wondered if they really ate that way. Elizabeth Bennet and her family are shown sitting down to a ‘simple country breakfast’ with a whole ham, rolls, and hefty side dishes. Dinner for the flashy