Dishing Up

Rubbish photo regrettably, but interesting artefact. This is a Tudor trencher dating from c1570 which was on display in our local museum's final exhibition before lock-down meant shut-down. 

The original incarnation of these started out as thick square pieces of flat bread which were left for 3 days to harden. You would have used it to eat your meal on and slice meat perhaps [the name is derived from trancher= to carve] before eating the bread plate itself or passing it over to the poor as alms in kind. Over time they evolved into this wooden version with the small indentation on one side. The information at the museum said this was for spices, but reading up it seems to have been used for salt too.

Over time the trencher was phased out and replaced by pewter and then later earthenware/porcelain plates, but we are left with the word "trencherman" meaning one who is a hearty eater.

Arilx