Beaulieu

The Refectory: The Monastic Diet

What is today the Parish Church was once the monks' refectory. Strict rules were laid down regarding the monastic diet. one of them stated `All must abstain from the flesh of four-footed beasts, except the delicate and the sick' , who usually ate mutton and the abbots guests who were often served meat.

Much of the food was supplied by the 'granges' but the Account Book reveals that these deliveries had to be supplemented by the purchase of extra corn, salt and fish, as well as small quantities of luxury items like sugar, almonds and spices, imported from the Mediterranean.

Bread was made in the Abbey bake-house. Four different types were produced and graded according to the quality, hired workmen having to make do with bread made from a mixture of grains. Flans and cakes were made for feast days.

Fish was an important part of the diet throughout the year. The monks had their own fishery on the Beaulieu River and from the sea reaches caught sea trout, mackerel, eels , and ling. Three ponds were constructed around the Abbey Precinct to supply freshwater fish like pike and tench. One of these 'stewponds`, the Church Meadow Pond, can be seen to the south of the Infirmary. The Abbey also owned land on the River Yare in Norfolk. Here they salted fish bought at nearby herring fairs, ready for transport back to the New Forest in their ship called 'Salvata`. Vegetables were grown by what was known as the 'Curtil age' department of the Abbey. The range was limited with leeks, beans and peas the most popular, although onions and garlic were also grown.

In an age when the preservation of food had to be accomplished without the benefits of refrigeration, salt wa s an important commodity. The Abbey owned its own slatterns on the banks of the Beaulieu River which produced a fine white salt, and a coarser, grey salt was imported for the less important occasions.

Ale was the staple drink of the monastic diet. We ekly brews were made in the Abbey brew-house from wheat and oats, and again graded according to quality, the poorest being sent to the Outer Gatehouse to be distributed as alms. Honey was used principally as a sweetener, but by fermenting it with water th e monks made mead. Wine was imported in increasing quantities and consumed on feast days and in the Abbot's guest-house.

English monasteries produced their own wine but as yet we are unable to state with certainty that Beaulieu did so. Cows and goats were kept, but their milk was used to make butter and cheese whilst water was piped to the Abbey from Monk's Well, about a mile away.

The Abbey had two refectories served by the same kitchen. On an average day about 100 monks attended meals. They at e in silence and took it in turns to serve. During the meal one of them read aloud from the Bible from a pulpit still used in the Parish Church.

Meals varied according to season. In winter the monks received two loaves of bread and two 'Pullmans` or dishes of eggs, fish, cereals, and vegetables. In summer there were two meals 'prandium` at midday and 'cena' or supper in the early evening. Prandium was similar to the ash winter meal; cena consisted of bread with fruit and uncooked vegetables. In addit ion, pittances, or small extra dishes, were frequently allowed, and pottage, a mixture of beans, peas and oatmeal gruel could also be served. All these dishes were eaten with a combination of knife and spoon, forks were rare and use of them was considered effeminate! As time went on these rules were relaxed and the monastic diet became more varied.