It’s been 107 years since the ill-fated RMS Titanic hit an iceberg on her maiden voyage, falling to the Atlantic seabed where the hull still rests today. More than 1,500 died on 14 April 1912 making it one of the most tragic maritime disasters of all time. Here we look at what life – and food – was like onboard the most famous liner in history.
Why are we so fascinated?
Many factors led to the tragedy: the claim that the Titanic – at the time the largest ship ever built – was unsinkable, the unusual combination of weather that drove icebergs further south than usual and the lack of lifeboats all played a part in the shocking death toll. Yet it's the stories of the celebrities of the day that were onboard, the sheer size and splendor of the ship, and how it highlighted the Edwardian class divide that have captivated people through the decades.
Titanic provisions: what food came onboard
Food was included in the ticket price for nearly all passengers, with the exception of meals in the à la carte restaurant. There was enough to cater for 2,200 people on what should have been a week-long voyage. Hefty provisions included 75,000lbs of meat, 11,000lbs of fresh fish, 40 tons of potatoes, 40,000 eggs, 7,000 heads of lettuce, 10,000lbs of sugar, 250 barrels of flour, 36,000 apples, 1,500 gallons of milk and 15,000 bottles of ale.
Life for third class passengers
Fares from those emigrating to the New World was big business for shipping companies and many of those seeking a new life would have been in third class (also known as steerage). Titanic’s third class was said to resemble second class in comparison to other steamships, but was also more expensive. There were two modest dining rooms, communal rooms, deck space and even running water and electricity (a novelty for many). The cabins (illustrated in this picture) were separated into berths for single men or single women, couples and families.
Dining in third class
The food and dining rooms were plain in comparison to the first and second class experience, but were still a great improvement for steerage passengers of the time, who usually had to bring their own food. The dining areas were painted white with bright side lighting, long communal wooden tables and chairs and enameled walls. Pictured is the third class dining saloon (1911) on the RMS Olympic, the Titanic’s near-identical sister ship.
Dining in third class
Food was surprisingly good quality for third class passengers. The White Star Line (who owned the Titanic) offered freshly baked bread and fruit daily and meals were better than those most passengers could afford at home. For example the Goodwin family, pictured here, would have eaten well. When the ship down went many steerage passengers lost their lives, including the Goodwins.
A third class breakfast
Breakfast was an important meal for Edwardians and on the morning before the Titanic hit the iceberg, passengers tucked into a number of foods typical of the period. There was oatmeal with milk, smoked herrings (pictured), jacket potatoes, ham and eggs, fresh bread and butter, marmalade, Swedish bread, tea and coffee.
A third class lunch
On 14 April, the steerage lunch menu consisted of rice soup, fresh bread, cabin biscuits (often eaten to alleviate sea-sickness), roast beef and brown gravy, sweetcorn, boiled potatoes, plum pudding, sweet sauce and fruit.
Tea and supper
In third class there was no dinner, which was considered a middle and upper class idea. Instead, tea and supper were served. Tea consisted of cold meat, cheese, pickles, fresh bread and butter, and tea. Pudding was stewed figs and rice. Supper was gruel (a type of thin porridge), cabin biscuits and cheese
The last meals eaten by third class passengers
Sadly, for hundreds of people, tea and supper was the last meal they ate. The greatest loss of life was among third class passengers, largely emigrants who inhabited the lowest part of the ship and so were most vulnerable when disaster struck – around 75% perished, the majority of which were men.
Life for second class passengers
Living a little more luxuriously, second-class passengers had comfortable cabins with shared bathrooms, access to a library, a men-only smoking room (common practice at the time), a large, handsome dining room and promenade decks. Pictured is a period illustration of a second class stateroom on the RMS Titanic.
Dining in second class
While not as grand as first class dining facilities, the second class dining room was still a sight to behold. It was an attractive space big enough to seat all second class passengers, with oak-paneled walls, colored linoleum floors, long tables and mahogany swivel chairs. Pictured here is the second class dining room on the Olympic.
A second class breakfast
Although there was less choice for second class passengers than those in first class, the largely British food was still of a high standard and a step up from third class victuals. This impressive breakfast menu from the 11 April shows hearty options and plenty of protein, including Yarmouth bloaters (smoked herring), ox kidneys and bacon, sausages, grilled ham and fried eggs. Pictured is a second class breakfast menu as seen on display at the SeaCity Museum, Southampton.
A second class breakfast
There was plenty of filling fare in a second class breakfast too, including oats, hominy (a type of grits), three types of potatoes, Vienna rolls, Graham rolls, soda scones (pictured) and buckwheat cake. For something sweet, there were various conserves, but the only nod to vegetables was watercress.
A second class lunch
On 12 April second class guests – such as schoolteacher Lawrence Beesley (pictured on the right in the gymnasium on the Titanic) who survived the sinking and later wrote a book about the tragedy – tucked in to pea soup, spaghetti au gratin, corned beef, vegetable dumplings, roast mutton, roast beef, jacket potatoes, sausages, ox tongue, pickles and salad.
A second class lunch
For dessert there was tapioca pudding, apple tart, fresh fruit, cheese and biscuits, and coffee. These American and British dishes, cooked in the same galley as first class, made up a hearty lunch – albeit a less elegant one than those dining in the á la carte restaurant two floors above.
The last meal eaten by second class passengers
The last meal many second class passengers ate comprised of a starter of consommé with tapioca then a choice of mains including baked haddock with sharp sauce (a tangy sauce with a vinegar base), curried chicken and rice, spring lamb with mint sauce or roast turkey with cranberry sauce. Sides were peas, puréed turnips, boiled and roast potatoes, and rice. Pictured is a copy of a second class dinner menu on the 14 April.
The last meal eaten by second class passengers
Guests, blithely oblivious to the tragedy about to occur, consumed plum pudding (pictured), wine jelly, ‘cocoanut sandwich’, American ice cream, assorted nuts, fruits, cheese and biscuits, and coffee for dessert. One second class passenger commented “no effort had been spared to give even the second class cabin passengers… the best dinner that money can buy
Life for first class passengers
Titanic’s first class passengers, such as American socialite Molly Brown (pictured), expected the best and would feast like royalty every day. These rich and often celebrated guests could easily afford first class, a ticket for which cost the equivalent of around $3,500 (£2,700) and $100,000 (£76k) today. As was the fashion in upper class circles, the food was French with some classic British and American dishes.
Life for first class passengers
For first class passengers the upper part of the Titanic was as sumptuously decorated as a high class hotel. There were lavish staterooms, a grand staircase, a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a gym, a squash court, leisure rooms and multiple dining rooms all resplendently decorated. Pictured is stateroom B-58 on the Titanic, decorated in Louis XVI style.
Dining in first class
The enormous Jacobean-inspired dining saloon was situated to give diners the smoothest passage. It was lined with white painted wood paneling, beautiful leaded-glass windows obscured the portholes and tables were laid for two to eight guests. A bugle sounded that signaled guests head to the reception room, where they sipped cocktails before dinner. Breakfast was served 8am–10am; lunch 1pm–2.30pm; and dinner 7pm-8.15pm. Pictured here is the first class dining saloon on RMS Olympic.
Dining in first class
For an extra cost, first class passengers could book to dine at restaurateur Luigi Gatti’s intimate à la carte restaurant nicknamed the “Ritz” (pictured). The elegant space was fully carpeted with French walnut-paneled walls and picture windows. Small tables were lit by crystal lamps and guests could eat any time between 8am and 11pm, which made it a popular choice. Gatti and the majority of the kitchen staff died when the Titanic sank.
Dining in first class
As well as the dining saloon and luxurious à la carte restaurant, first class passengers had other places to eat including the Veranda Café, and the Café Parisien (pictured). Both had wicker chairs and ivy colored trellises, the former resembled an outdoor terrace of a country hotel and the latter a café on a Parisian sidewalk, despite being completely enclosed.
A first class breakfast
The main difference between breakfasts in first and second class was that diners in upper class could have food such as omelettes, chops and steaks cooked to order. There were also four types of cooked egg to choose from, three types of potato, and more fish options including smoked salmon.
A first class lunch
On the 14 April, guests in the dining saloon could opt for one of four starters including filets of brill and egg à l'argenteuil, then choose items from the grill and the extensive buffet that included veal and ham pie, potted shrimps, galantine of chicken, Norwegian anchovies, beetroot and tomatoes. Pictured is a first class menu on display in The Little Museum of Dublin, donated by the family of a Titanic survivor.
A first class lunch
Dessert was a generous selection of English and French cheese that included camembert, roquefort, cheddar and stilton, washed down with a tankard of Munich lager (for an extra cost).
The last meal eaten by first class passengers
The last meal for first class diners was a grand affair that included starters of canapés and oysters, a second course of consommé Olga (a clear veal soup garnished with scallops), a third course of poached salmon with mousseline sauce, and a fourth course of filet mignons Lili or chicken Lyonnaise with marrow farci (stuffed vegetables).
The last meal eaten by first class passengers
The mains catered to most people’s tastes. There was lamb, duckling and beef, with buttery roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, minted peas, carrots and rice. After a rum infused palate cleanser of punch romaine (the sixth course), guests moved on to roasted squab with wilted cress, asparagus salad with champagne saffron vinaigrette and pâté de foie gras with celery. In fact, with a grand total of 11 courses, it’s hard to imagine how they fitted it all in.
The last meal eaten by first class passengers
To round off that fateful meal, there was Waldorf pudding, peaches in Chartreuse jelly, chocolate and vanilla éclairs, French ice cream, assorted fresh fruit and cheeses. While some first class diners would have eaten in one of the cafés or the à la carte restaurant, for others this would have been their last meal – a few hours later more than 120 first class passengers died, mainly men.
Titanic menus are worth a fortune today
People remain in awe of the Titanic, especially its glamor and opulence, so when a first class menu of the first lunch aboard the ship went up for auction in 2018 it fetched $131,097 (£100k). Dated 12 April 1912, it belonged to Second Officer Charles Lightoller. In 2012 the last lunch menu sold for $99,670 (£76k). Pictured is a first class menu on display at Bonhams auction house, New York, 2012.
A grand commemoration dinner
In 2012, the Hullett House Hotel in Hong Kong (pictured) hosted a $1,930 (£1,470) per head dinner to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking. The 10-course dinner was inspired by the final meal served in the first class dining saloon and included bottles of wine salvaged from the wreck.
Taste the Titanic's cuisine today
Rayanne House in Belfast (where the Titanic was built) offers a nine-course Titanic menu inspired by what first class passengers would have eaten. Courses include poached salmon with mousseline sauce, filet mignon with foie gras and truffle, and spiced peaches in Chartreuse jelly.
Still intrigued? Read more…
To learn more about the food and drink served on the doomed liner read Rick Archbold’s The Last Dinner on the Titanic and RMS Titanic Dinner is Served by Yvonne Hume, the great niece of musician John Law Hume who died while working on the ship.
Get up close and personal
There are numerous exhibitions and memorials dedicated to the Titanic. Titanic Belfast offers the definitive Titanic Experience, while Seacity Museum, Southampton tells a tale of a town where more than 500 households lost a family member. Mersey Maritime Museum, Liverpool explains the city's place in the Titanic's story.
