This shoot dinner menu from Sandringham, dated February 1st 1872 shows what the Prince of Wales and his friends tucked into after enjoying a day's sport.
Like the Sandringham game cards, the menu is encapsulated in a beautiful, hand painted scene with game birds and rabbits.
The British upper-crust in those days considered French food the only thing worth eating and would have had a French chef in residence to cater to their desires.
The menu is, therefore, in French, which was taught to young ladies and gentlemen either at public school or by a governess during childhood.
It reads: Royal Dinner: Oysters, turtle soup, Italian red mullet, anchovies, mutton pate, roast poussin with spinach, gateau of apricots, noisettes with raspberries. The side table carries pheasnat pate, sardines, caviar and devilled biscuits.
I wonder if it might inspire any readers to try and recreate it for their own shoot dinner next season. I'm not sure turtles are any longer on the menu.
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