[Sca-cooks] Tableware

[ranvaig at columbus.rr.com]

>I would suggest you take a look at Menagier.  He directs that trencher
>loaves be specially purchased for wedding meals.  The meals were for 30
>bowls plus six servants.  Menagier ordered the purchas of three dozen
>trencher loaves, or one for each person present.  This suggests that
>trenchers were not in common use outside of the great households.

I wonder if trenchers were specifically used for feasts.  When they
served more people than usual and didn't have enough of the plates
that would be normally used.  People didn't bring their own feast gear
in period.

Using trenchers doesn't make that much sense for everyday meals.
Its better to wash and reuse a plate, but makes a lot of sense for
feeding a large number.

Ranvaig
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