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Was Queen Victoria the original foodie?

A new afternoon tea menu inspired by Queen Victoria has launched at Blenheim Palace
A new afternoon tea menu inspired by Queen Victoria has launched at Blenheim Palace

She was a fan of street food, and once ordered bratwurst and beer at a German market. She was always willing to try new and unusual foods and drinks, such as an artisan perry from Gloucestershire (which she loved). There was a whisky distillery on her land. No, it's not a modern-day foodie, but Queen Victoria. 

Now a new afternoon tea menu has been curated, inspired by the fashionable desserts of the Victorian era, as well as some of the Widow of Windsor's personal favourites. At The Orangery at Blenheim Palace, diners can explore treats such as the classic Victoria sponge, chocolate eclairs, a strawberry and vanilla Battenburg, a sherry trifle and a lady's finger.

The menu was launched last week to coincide with the Victorian Passions & Pursuits exhibition at the palace. The exhibition allows visitors to see how the palace - where Winston Churchill was born - was presented in Victorian times. 

Blenheim Palace - Credit: Melodie Manners
The beautiful Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill Credit: Melodie Manners

"It's one of those things that fits really well", says The Orangery's Executive Chef Billy Bush. "Cakes are one of our biggest sellers, and with the history of Queen Victoria and afternoon tea, it was a really good match."

The Victoria Sponge was an incredibly popular cake in the 19th century, and has remained so today. "It's our biggest seller by a long way", says Bush.

But its nomenclature is shrouded in myth. While some believe its creation came under direct orders from Queen Victoria, it is more likely the much-loved cake was renamed in her honour. "It's been around since the 17th century", says historian and author of The Greedy Queen Annie Gray. "There is no evidence she had a role in the creation. It seems to have been named for her." 

Queen Victoria having lunch - Credit: Hulton Archive
Queen Victoria: the original foodie? Credit: Hulton Archive

A menu dedicated to Queen Victoria could only be an afternoon tea. "She had it pretty much every day, and certainly enjoyed it", says Gray. Among genteel and aristocratic circles in the mid- to late-Victorian era, it was ubiquitous.

Cakes and treats of various descriptions were always offered. After the price of sugar dropped drastically from the 1870s, the nobility kept its desserts distinct through "delicacy, and the time that went into preparing them", Gray explains. French chefs were often employed, popularising foods such as the chocolate eclair, which makes a welcome appearance on Bush's menu. 

"The Battenburg cake was quite interesting",  says Bush. "The dish is said to have been invented when Queen Victoria's granddaughter married Prince Louis of Battenburg in 1884. I read somewhere that the four different-coloured squares represent Louis and his three brothers." 

Banbury Cakes
Banbury cakes were presented to Queen Victoria on her trips from Osborne House to Balmoral (see below for the recipe)

The Banbury cake, while not featuring on the afternoon menu, is available at other venues run by Searcys at Blenheim Palace. "It's a really lovely story", Bush beams. "Every time Queen Victoria travelled from Osborne [Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight] to Balmoral, she was presented with a Banbury cake. We thought it was a really nice connection with Queen Victoria." 

It's not the first time The Orangery has created special dishes to celebrate palace events. Churchill proposed to his wife at Blenheim, and several exhibitions have celebrated the former Prime Minister. "We quite often make Clementine cakes", says Bush "and we make little cigars out of tuile biscuits."

While it's clear Queen Victoria had a sweet tooth, Gray takes issue with describing certain dishes as her favourites. "When you drill down all those lists of favourite foods are based on about two references in memoirs of various ladies in waiting. She did like a piece of cake and eating things we now associate with afternoon tea. She loved ice cream, but it was the standard end to any Victorian meal."

Did she have a true favourite, then? "Mutton and fresh fruit. Full stop." 

The exhibition and afternoon tea menu runs until 16 April. Tickets are available at blenheimpalace.com.

Make it at home | Banbury Cake
Make it at home | Banbury Cake