Banquet & Reception

Menu for the Celebration of the Union of South Africa Banquet and Reception at the Hotel Cecil in London, held on 21 March 1911. Field Marshall H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught was in the chair and the chairman of the South African Dinner Committee was E P Mathers and the committee members included the Rt. Hon Louis Botha, Sir Carl Meyer, Sir Julius Wernher and Rudyard Kipling.

The courses of the banquet comprised ''huitres natives', 'consomme royal', 'darne de saumon. sauce chablis', 'terrine de cailles souvaroff', 'selle d'agneau a la broche ', 'mousse de jambon en aspic', 'poularde rotie au cresson' and 'savarin de peches richelieu'. The wines included 'Domecq's Delicia', 'Hochheimer', 'Heidseick & Co. Dry Monopole 1904', 'Detz & Geldermann, 1904, 'Chateau Branaire Ducru, 1893', 'Dow's 1890' and 'Otard's 1875'.

Opened in 1896 the Hotel Cecil was a spacious building, comprising of 800 bedrooms. Its Grand Hall could seat 600 people for dinner and its Victoria Hall could accommodate 500 dancers. The Cecil was demolished in 1930.