What Was 2nd Class Dining Like on the Titanic?

Titanic’s 2nd Class Passengers

When the Titanic departed Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912, it was carrying 2,240 passengers and crew members, with 285 of those people being second-class passengers. These passengers would be the equivalent of middle-class people today.

Second-class tickets cost about $60, which would be about $1,800 in today's money. The price of the ticket included three meals a day, and the 2nd-class meals aboard the Titanic were comparable to 1st-class meals on other ships.

There was no shortage of food on the ship when it departed. In fact, when it left dock, it was carrying 25,000 pounds of poultry, 10,000 pounds of sugar, 7,000 heads of lettuce, and 57,6000 pieces of crockery, to name just a few of the items it had onboard.

Although second-class passengers made up the smallest class of the ship, there was nothing small about the food they enjoyed. Let's take a look at their dining experience.

What Did 2nd Class Passengers Wear For Dinner?

Although they could dress more casually during the day, men typically wore classic suits to dinner, as seen in the photo above of 2nd class passenger Joseph Fynney. Women were required to wear long sleeves, and either wore long dresses or long skirts with blouses.

While not nearly as fancy as the first-class women's dresses, the second-class evening wear was a step above the third-class, who often wore clothing from used clothing stores. Many of the second-class women had their dresses made by local tailors or, for those who knew how to sew, would make their own dresses.

2nd Class Table Setting

Second-class passengers ate in the dining saloon, which was located on the D deck. They sat at long tables that ran the length of the room. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and napkins.

Mahogany swivel chairs were nailed to the floor, and the room was decorated with oak paneling, giving the room an elegant feel.

A table setting consisted of seven utensils (a soup spoon, two forks, two knives, and two spoons), along with a main course plate made of bone china as pictured above, and three glasses, two for wine and one for water.

As the meal progressed, the used utensils were removed, and the remaining utensils were shifted into a new location to accommodate the next course.

You may have noticed the logo in the middle of the plates above. The logo is for the White Star Line, which is the company that built and owned the Titanic.

Titanic's 2nd Class Food

While first-class food was predominantly French cuisine, second-class food was mainly British food, and there was certainly an abundance of it.

On its final day at sea, breakfast items included fried eggs and grilled ham, fruit, fresh fish, grilled sausage, boiled hominy, grilled ox kidneys and bacon, mashed potatoes, Yarmouth bloaters, fried potatoes, buckwheat cakes, soda scones, Vienna and graham rolls, rolled oats, conserve, and watercress. Maple syrup and marmalade were provided to accompany the food. Tea and coffee were also served.

Second-class lunch was more like a fancy dinner, starting with pea soup and containing several main course options, including spaghetti au gratin, roast beef, sausage, ox tongue, corned beef, vegetable dumplings, and roast mutton, along with pickles, salad, and baked jacket potatoes.

To finish this off, there was cheese, biscuits, tapioca pudding, and apple tarts with coffee served.

Above, you can see an actual dinner menu from Titanic's final night at sea. It begins with consommé tapioca (which is a beef-based consommé with tapioca, egg yolks, milk, and spices), along with an assortment of main dishes and sides, ending in dessert and coffee. Both red and white wines were available for an additional cost.

Sixty-two kitchen staff workers kept not only second but first- and third-class passengers well-fed. The staff was made up of chefs, cooks, butchers, bakers, and dishwashers.

Alcohol on the Titanic

Upon departure, the Titanic was carrying 1,500 bottles of wine, 20,000 bottles of beer, 850 bottles of liquor and a whopping 63 cases of champagne.

While women could savor wine and champagne during dinner, the men got to kick back and enjoy cocktails in the smoking lounge, which was for men only. Here they could down a shot of whiskey or sip on some brandy while smoking cigars and playing cards.

Champagne Retrieved From Titanic Wreck

Over time, bottles of both wine and champagne have been retrieved from the wreck of the Titanic. In fact, in 2010, 168 bottles of champagne were recovered from the ship. One of them was a bottle of 1907 Vintage Champagne Heidsieck’s Goût Américain, which is currently worth $275,000. Is it drinkable? Amazingly, yes!

Overall Dining Experience

From the elegance of the dining room to the upscale food and some of the finest French wines available at the time, second-class passengers had an incredible dining experience while sailing on the Titanic. This should come as no surprise, as the Titanic was the largest and certainly the most luxurious ship of its time.

Sources:

• https://alookthrutime.wordpress.com/tag/kitchen-staff-on-titanic/
• https://glassofbubbly.com/what-champagne-was-served-on-the-titanic/
• https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/what-titanic-passengers-eat
• https://rmstitanic1912.weebly.com/second-class-dining.html
• https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/history/20th-century/how-second-and-third-class-passengers-dined-on-the-titanic-180792/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv8uQ1zlYko&t=533s
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• https://titanicfacts.net/