Did you ever wonder what the passengers did eat and drink aboard the Titanic?

• The Refrigeration Plant

• First-Class Food Menus

• "Waldorf Pudding" Recipe

• First-Class Wine List

• Second-Class Food Menus

• Third-Class Food Menus

The most interesting feature of the Titanic was the refrigeration plant. It had a huge ice-making and refrigerating machine and a number of provision rooms on the aft part on the Port site of the Tanktop - Deck and Orlop - Deck. There were separate rooms for mutton, beef, cheese, mineral water, fish, game, poultry, flowers, wines, spirits and champagne. All these rooms were maintained at different temperatures most suited to each. Perishable freight had a compartment of its own, on the aft part on the Starboard site of the Orlop - Deck, also chilled by the refrigeration plant.

Refrigeration and cooling of the provisions and the storerooms aboard the Titanic was accomplished by the installation of a large self-sustaining brine refrigeration system throughout the ship. Drinking water was cooled and supplied from a large number of different points. In the First, Second and Third - Class accommodation, the cooling water refrigeration plant was also used for cooling the wines and beers in the bars and a number of cold lockers in the various pantries.

In addition to these small units, a high capacity version was installed for ice-making and cooling the cargo beef chambers. The plant was supplied by two horizontal duplex CO2 machines, each of which comprised two self-contained units capable of independant working - so that actually four complete refrigeration units were provided. The refrigeration machine was designed and manufactured by Halls Thermotank Ltd. and was of the standard marine type.

Each compressor was manufactured from solid blocks of high tensile carbon steel with condensor coils of solid drawn copper contained in the base of each casting, which in turn were divided in two separate casings. Each machine was fitted with its own steam service condensor, a brass circulating pump, and air and feed pumps. A duplex brass-ended water pump was also provided as an emergency stand-by unit.

Each evaporator was internally divided into four separate units and was locked in an insulated recess above the machinery at the Orlop - Deck level. This recess also housed the three main brine pumps and their interchangeable connectors. The brine return tanks were placed at a higher level immediately above the evaporators.

Refrigerant circulation used the principal of open return with a separate flow and return for each circuit. All brine pipes throughout the system were externally galvanised to ensure protection against corrosion. The brine circuits were kept as short as possible and were interspersed with suspension chambers to ensure an even distribution of refrigerant throughout the system even in the remote possibility of one section becoming blocked.

Food served in the First-Class Dining Saloon was prepared in the same galley as the Second-Class meals, which was located on D - Deck.
In First-Class the last dinner served consisted of eleven courses of classic French cuisine, including such exotic items as Consommé Olga and Filets Mignons Lili.

First-Class passengers who did not wish to dine at the set mealtime could eat at the "A la Carte Restaurant" at any time between 8.00 a.m. and 11.00 p.m. If they elected to take all their meals in this establishment they would be granted a rebate of $15 or $25 in recognition of the fact they would pay for their meals separately.
The "A la Carte Restaurant" was situated aft of the second of the first two First-Class companionways on B - Deck.

The most interesting food on the First-Class Dinner Menu that was served on the evening of April 14th, 1912 in the First Class Dining Saloon was "Waldorf Pudding", one of the sweet items served with the Tenth Course. (Note: The Waldorf Hotel in New York, which actually didn't open until the 1930s, had never heard of "Waldorf Pudding".!.!.!)

Ingredients Pudding:

• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 2 cups flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 3 tbsp melted butter
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 1/2 cups diced, unpeeled apples
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 1 cup English walnut meats
  
• 1/2 cup steamed raisins
  

Sauce:
Boil sugar and water until syrup spins a thread, pour over beaten yolks of eggs, and stir quickly; add lemon extract. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, mix in whipped cream.

• Ales, Lager, Stout, 6d. or $0.13 per bottle.
  
• Apollinaris water, Perrier water, White Rock water, Apenta water, Cantrell & Cochrane and Ross's Ginger Ale and Lemonade, Schweppe's Soda Water, 6d. or $0.13 per bottle.
  
• Split Apollinaris, Perrier, White Rock and Soda Water, 3d. or $0.07 per bottle.
  
• Poland water (still) 1sh. or $0.25 per bottle.
  Congress water, 1sh. or $0.25 per bottle.
  
• Hunyadi water, 1sh. 6d. or $0.37 per bottle.
  Vichy Celestin, 1sh.3d. or $0.31 per bottle.
  
• Craven mixture in 1/4 lb. tin, 2sh. or $0.50.
  
• Cut (Pioneer Savory and Capstan) Tobacco, 3sh. or $0.75 per lb.
  
• Egypian Cigarettes, Fribourg & Treyer, 1sh. or $0.25 per box.
  Pall Mall, 1sh. or $0.25 per box, tin.
  
• Three Castles, 1sh. or $0.25 per tin.
  Richmond Straight Cut, 1sh. or $0.25 per box.
  
• Cigars:
  Fernandez Garcia, Vincedores, £1 or $0.25 each.
  Bock's Rothchild Elegantes, 6d. or $0.13 each.
  Jose Morales, 6d. or $0.13 each.
  Garcia Perlas Finas, 4d. or $0.08 each.
  

Note:
When Dr. Robert Ballard explored the wreck of the Titanic on July 26th, 1986 he discovered hundreds of wine bottles scattered all over the ocean floor. The corks of the still wine bottles had imploded under the huge ocean pressure though the majority of the champagne bottles appeared to be intact.

It was commonly known that the vibrations from the Titanic's engines would dislodge the sediment and diminish any old wine. The wine stewards aboard the Titanic decanted therefor any good red wines with enormous care, after having left them standing upright for several hours, so as to leave as much sediment as possible at the bottom of the wine bottles.

It was not uncommon for the First-Class diners aboard the Titanic to drink champagne with every course from appetizer to dessert. Most of the diners aboard the Titanic would have drunk only a small glass of each of the wines served with each course of the dinner. Furthermore, the time it took to eat an eleven course dinner allowed for slow alcoholic absorption. Not one of the diners would have staggered for that reason from the Titanic's dining table in an inebriated daze.

After dinner, many of the First-Class diners repaired to the Reception Room outside the First-Class Dining Saloon, where they had enjoyed a cocktail before dinner, for strong coffee and polite conversation.

More than a few of the gentlemen diners now smoked their first cigar of the evening and ordered a glass of port in the First-Class Smoking Room behind the First-Class Entrance.

Food served in the Second-Class Dining Saloon was prepared in the same galley as the First-Class meals, which was located on D - Deck.
In Second-Class the food was less fancy than in First-Class and was aimed to please the plainer British and American middle-class.

Food served in the Third-Class Dining Saloon was prepared in the Third-Class galley, which was located on F - Deck.
In Third-Class, the last dinner was English high tea, a meal eaten with a knife and fork. The main dish in Third-Class on the last night was Ragout of Beef with Pickles and Onions, similar to what we would call Irish Stew.

This website is dedicated to the eternal legacy of the RMS Titanic and to all of those who needlessly died one cold night in April, 1912...

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