Meals On the Titanic: Interesting Foods For Every Class Part Three

last meal bookFor the passengers in Third Class, traveling on board the RMS Titanic must have seemed like a dream come true. A lot of the passengers were entire families that had decided to sell all they owned, say goodbye to their friends, and climb onto the famous ship to head to America for a better life. Many of these immigrant families were so poor, many of them had never been on a ship, and now they were on the finest, and biggest, ship to sail the seas. The Third Class section of Titanic was not nearly as fancy as the other two classes, but to these families, it was just as luxurious. Not only did some of these passengers get to experience things like indoor plumbing, but they also got three meals a day, and those meals were just as interesting as the meals in the other two classes. Here is what the Third Class passengers ate on board the RMS Titanic.

Third Class Dining Saloon

thirdclassdiningroomThe Third Class Dining Saloon was located on F Deck, and could seat over 400 people in one sitting. However, there were over 700 passengers that booked into this class, which meant that the large number of people had to be divided up when it came to meal time. The room contained long tables that could sit up to 20 people at the same time, and there were hooks on the walls for people to hang up their hats, coats, and scarves. There was not much in the room in terms of decor, but the bright white table clothes, shining silverware, and solid wooden chairs must have looked fancy to these immigrant families. The food was plentiful and hot, which was more than what some of them were used to living in their impoverished circumstances.

Third Class Breakfast

Bowl-of-porridge-550811Breakfast in Third Class might not have been a big as the breakfasts offered in the other two classes, but the food was just as delicious. Just what did the passengers traveling in Third Class ate for their first meal of the day? According to one surviving April 14th menu, the last morning of the Titanic’s ill-fated journey started in the lowest class with porridge, vegetable stew, and fried trip with onions. In terms of things to go along with the porridge, stew, and tripe, passengers were given bread and butter, Swedish bread, coffee and tea. There was also marmalade available to spread on the bread, and milk for those that preferred it to tea or coffee.

Third Class Lunch

roastbeef11142When the noon hour came, the passengers in the lowest class all headed to their simple dining room to enjoy the middle of the day meal. What was on the menu for lunch? The passengers were given soup to begin with, and then were offered for their meat dish, which was roast beef and brown gravy. The side dishes to go with the roast beef was green beans and boiled potatoes. There were cabin biscuits to eat, and also for dessert, they had prunes and rice.

Third Class Dinner

rabbit-pie01-24711Sundown is usually the time of day when people sit down to dinner. While those in First and Second class put on their best clothing, those in Third Class got to eat their dinner in a more casual atmosphere. Once they all sat down to eat, the passengers were given rabbit pie for their main meal. The side dishes that went with the pie were; baked potatoes, rhubarb and ginger jam, plus Swedish bread, and bread and butter. Naturally, with every meal, the Third Class passengers were given tea to drink, which was the perfect end to their wonderful meal. 

Everyone needs to eat and drink in order to live, and when people go on vacation, they tend to eat food they do not get to eat at home. For the passengers traveling on the RMS Titanic, they too had the chance to not only spend time in the best accommodations they ever experienced, plus had the best food they ever ate. There are some surviving menus from the ill-fated voyage, and they show modern people what it was like to have a meal back in 1912. While some of the foods the passengers ate was unusual, like herring for breakfast, the menus also showed a time when dining was more than just eating, but a genuine social experience that just happened to end tragically.