Menu at the Government House
Every year, on the King’s or Queen’s Birthday, the British colonial administration would give a lavish dinner at Government House for special guests from both communities in Cyprus. The menu was carefully compiled, often importing food from England, e.g. pheasant. In 1882, Cyprus suffered from an attack by locusts from the African desert. The destruction of the crops was devastating. People moved to the nearby countries to work and find food. There was famine for three years. However, the celebration for Queen Victoria’s birthday took place in 1882. A special menu was designed by Hugh Montgomerie Sinclair, ADC to the Governor. It portrayed St Sophia Cathedral, with a palm tree. The dishes were written clearly in the upper and centre part of the menu card. These included, to start with: Oxtail soup, salmon with lobster sauce, for entrees: fricassee of chicken or chaudfroid of lamb cutlets. Then joints: roast turkey or boiled beef, and remove: roast ducks. For entremets: Albert’s pudding, compote of oranges and ice pudding. In the top left corner of the menu was the design of a huge locust. It was to remind the participants of this lavish dinner that the island was suffering from a locust attack and famine.
mmr-00046 > Menu of Government House for the Queen’s birthday 1882
You can see this exhibit up close, along with many others, in the 1st-floor exhibition room of CVAR.
