mong the then Viceroy houses, today’s Rashtrapathi Bhawan, Delhi, was the largest palace built in the 20th century. This had the largest Edwardian kitchen in the world. In terms of culinary trivia, the 1911 coronation was a high point in British cooking, when legendary Chef August escoffier’s menu in London included Caviar, Turtle Soup, roast chicken George V and peaches Queen Mary. The East India Company Officers lived the Aura of the Victorian passion to the very last word. The Officers in short, made Britain the most portable commodity on earth whether at work, war, picnic or while hunting deep in the jungle. They always carried this part of England with them as though it

was the Queen’s perpetual order. This Royal Picnic Hamper is fitted with locking systems and underlined with an inner lining of waterproof cloth. Most often it was the Glasgow Mull. And they contained in them, fine China bone ware, teacups, cheese knives, jam pots, milk pots, crystal stemware. Some sophisticated ones even contained a thermos flask. Of course, plates, side plates, saucers are a part of the pack. Interestingly, the crockery and cutlery for the gentlemen had red edgings and those for the ladies contained blue edgings. It is claimed to be a 1911 Delhi Durbar left behind and it was to be a part of the personal belonging of the Rahm family in Yercaud. The family that once operated the Tiperary Hotel, Yercaud through the Dickens.