Lunch & Supper

LUNCH, OR LUNCHEON, IS A RELATIVE NEW comer to Britain. It’s first recorded at the end of the eighteenth century: a tumultuous time with Britain and other European countries allied against the newly established French First Republic and the country militarized and heavily taxed. In a more domestic context, mealtimes were in a state of flux, with dinner gradually moving from midafternoon to around 8:00 p.m. for the upper classes. Given that breakfast was generally around 9:00 a.m., it was a long time to go without eating, and while what would later become afternoon tea could fill some gaps, it was hardly a substantial repast.