Breakfast with Character – RMS Athenia Tourist Third Cabin Menu, 29 August 1930

Tourist Third Cabin Breakfast Menu Card From 29 August 1930 on Board the RMS Athenia of the Anchor-Donaldson Line, Featuring Arbroath Smokies, Broiled Weakfish, and Shirred Eggs and Roquefort. GGA Image ID # 154bdfd4e4

☕ Review & Summary – RMS Athenia Tourist Third Cabin Breakfast – 29 August 1930

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This morning aboard the RMS Athenia of the Anchor-Donaldson Line, our Tourist Third Cabin guests enjoy a breakfast selection that rivals many First-Class tables ashore. The offerings reflect both British and North American tastes, blending hearty cooked fare with fresh fruits, cereals, and baked goods—ensuring a filling start to the day’s voyage.

The menu shows a clear emphasis on variety—you could begin with chilled fruit, follow with a hot grilled entrée, and still finish with a sweet buckwheat cake drizzled in honey or maple syrup. Notably, there is ample choice for both meat and fish lovers, and even the cold buffet is lavish for this class of travel.

🍽 Featured Entrées of the Day

While the variety is large, two dishes likely stood out as the day’s “specials” given their uniqueness and cost:

Arbroath Smokies – A Scottish specialty: small whole haddock, hot-smoked over hardwood until golden and richly flavored. Uncommon outside Scotland, they would have been a treat for adventurous passengers.

Shirred Eggs and Roquefort – Eggs baked in a shallow dish until set, topped with tangy Roquefort cheese. This French-inspired dish offered a sophisticated option rarely found in Tourist Class.

• Honey Dew Melon
• Orange Juice
• Californian Figs in Syrup
• Baked Apples
• Oranges
• Grape Fruit
• Apples
• Bananas
• Stewed Figs

• Quaker Oats
• Puffed Rice
• Oatmeal Porridge
• Corn Flake
• Shredded Wheat
• Force
• Grape Nuts
• Kellogg's Bran Cream of Wheat
• Post Toasties

TO ORDER

• Arbroath Smokies
• Broiled Weakfish
• Fried Haddock

Eggs: -

• Fried, Turned, Poached, Boiled or Buttered
• Shirred Eggs and Roquefort

• Minced Chicken on Toast   
• Pepper Pot
• Hashed Brown Potatoes

FROM THE GRILL

• Ayrshire or Wiltshire Bacon
• York Ham

COLD BUFFET

• Roast Lamb
• Spiced Beef
• Scotch Brawn
• Pressed Beef
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Radishes
• Celery

• Toast Breakfast & Graham Rolls
• Ginger Scones
• Malt, Youma, Vienna, Bermaline and Crusty Bread
• Scotch Oatcakes
• Buckwheat Cakes with Maple Syrup or Honey

• Preserves
• Honeycomb
• Marmalade

• Horlicks Malted Milk
• Buttermilk
• Tea
• Coffee
• Cocoa

⭐ Special & Engaging Items

Pepper Pot – A thick, spicy stew (often beef-based) with vegetables and peppercorns, rooted in Caribbean and colonial cooking traditions.

York Ham – From England’s historic city of York, this dry-cured ham has a subtle saltiness and firm texture.

Scotch Brawn – A cold terrine made from seasoned, jellied pork, served sliced—an old-world delicacy.

Buckwheat Cakes with Maple Syrup or Honey – Pancakes made from buckwheat flour, lending a nutty flavor, sweetened with either imported maple syrup or shipboard honeycomb.

📜 Unusual or Potentially Confusing Items (with Brand Notes)

Force – A now-defunct breakfast cereal made from toasted wheat flakes with malt flavoring. Popular in Britain and North America in the early 20th century.

Arbroath Smokies – Whole haddock hot-smoked in the Scottish town of Arbroath; richer and smokier than kippers.

Shirred Eggs – Eggs baked in a dish rather than boiled or fried; less familiar to many Americans of the time.

Scotch Brawn – A cold meat dish in aspic (gelatin) that might be mistaken for pâté but is coarser in texture.

Youma Bread – Likely a health bread variant offered aboard ship; similar specialty breads include Bermaline (made with malt extract) and Vienna (light-textured white bread).

🥐 Variety & Balance

This menu offers five main categories:

Fruit & Juices – Fresh and preserved options, including tropical (bananas) and temperate (apples, grapes) varieties.

Cereals – Both hot and cold, with a mix of British (porridge, Quaker Oats) and American (Corn Flakes, Post Toasties) brands.

Hot Mains – Fish, eggs, meats, and stews for hearty appetites.

Cold Buffet – An impressive spread of meats and salads, unusual for Tourist Class breakfasts.

Breads & Cakes – Multiple international bread styles plus scones and oatcakes for a Scottish touch.

💡 Engaging Detail

The Arbroath Smokies likely drew attention as a regional specialty rarely encountered outside Scotland. The Shirred Eggs with Roquefort hinted at Continental influence, suggesting the Athenia’s kitchen was keen to offer something refined even to the more economical passengers. The presence of Force cereal and Post Toasties also reflects the strong transatlantic cultural exchange in packaged foods during the 1930s.