Lord of the Rings: A Hobbit’s Feast
BY Alison Wiebe
Every hobbit knows you need at least seven meals a day! From first breakfast to ‘second dinner’ and dessert, this hobbit’s feast is an epic culinary journey across Middle Earth and a celebration of good food and good cheer.
A Hobbit’s Feast
In 1937 English author J.R.R. Tolkien published a short novel called The Hobbit and introduced generations of readers to the magic and splendour of Middle Earth. It would be almost twenty years later before Tolkien would publish his much longer novel, The Lord of the Rings, and change the landscape of fantasy fiction forever. Twenty years ago the release of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy would introduce this beloved story to an even wider audience and people everywhere would fall in love with the curious and charming halflings called hobbits.
My introduction to The Lord of the Rings came at a very young age when my father would read it to me before bed. I was almost too young to even remember the story but I do remember begging my father to keep reading. I have read The Lord of the Rings many times since then and seen the movies too many times to count (or admit to!) and my love for this story has only grown.
For all the other Tolkien fans out there, I offer this Hobbit’s feast – a culinary journey through the foods of Middle Earth. Whether it’s for an evening party or a full-day movie marathon (extended edition only!) I hope you will find inspiration here to bring the foods of Middle Earth to your table.
Feast like a hobbit from the Lord of the Rings
It’s no secret that hobbit’s love good food and good cheer. Above all, hobbit’s value the comforts of home and good companionship. The hobbits’ fondness for the hearty, farmhouse fare of the Shire is evidenced by their seven daily meals. Not content with just three, every hobbit will happily fit as many meals in as they can before bed! A hobbit’s feast takes us on a journey from first breakfast in the morning to a late evening dessert.
Pippin: What about breakfast?
Aragorn: We already had it.
Pippin: We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?
Merry: Don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pippin.
Pippin: What about Elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon Tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?
Merry: I wouldn't count on it.
~The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001 film)~
Now, for those people who don’t have a hobbits’ endless appetite, making seven meals in one single day may seem like a meal too many. For your own hobbit’s feast consider picking just a few of the meals to make in a day – you can always try the rest another day. And for those people who have just been waiting for an excuse to add a few more daily meals, then here is the full Lord of the Rings inspired Hobbit’s Feast menu!
Lord of the Rings inspired Menu
First Breakfast
A hobbit’s feast must begin with a hearty breakfast! Start your feast day right with this savoury Dutch baby served with tomatoes, sausages, and nice, crispy bacon. A handful of sharp English cheddar gives this puffy, Dutch baby a delicious savoury flavour and is the perfect accompaniment for these breakfast favourites. Get the recipe for this Savoury Dutch Baby with Tomatoes, Sausages, and Bacon.
Second Breakfast
Now that you’ve had one breakfast, it’s time for a second breakfast! As Pippin knows, one breakfast just isn’t enough for a hobbit’s feast. All hobbit’s are fond of mushrooms so no hobbit party would be complete without a mushroom course. Wild mushrooms sautéed with a dash of sherry and spooned over cheesy toast is just the dish to inspire any hobbit to steal mushrooms from Farmer Maggot’s crops! Get the recipe for Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast.
Elevenses
The beloved woodland fellow Tom Bombadil may have been left out of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Ring films but he lives on as inspiration in our elevenses snack. Sample the sumptuous woodland feast of white bread, whipped brie, berries, and honey served by Tom Bombadil and Goldberry to the hobbits after their rescue from the Old Forest. Get the recipe for White Braided Bread with Whipped Brie, Berries, and Honey.
Luncheon
A hearty midday deal is just what a hobbit needs after a busy morning of feasting! Our Lord of the Rings menu continues at the Inn of the Prancing Pony with a rustic luncheon spread full of pub house favourites. Start your luncheon with a steaming bowl of beef, stout, and barley soup followed by a ploughman’s lunch featuring cheese, bread, pickles, and glazed baked ham. For dessert, enjoy a slice of blackberry almond tart with a honey whipped mascarpone cream. Get all the recipes for this hearty Luncheon: Ploughman’s Lunch with Blackberry Tart.
Afternoon Tea
The best way to follow up a hearty luncheon is with an afternoon tea! Journey to the enchanting elvish realms of Lothlorien and Rivendell to enjoy a variety of splendid elvish fare: the floral cordial Miruvor, lavender-scented lembas, and a spiced mead honey cake courtesy of the Beornings. Get all the recipes for Afternoon Tea: Miruvor, Lembas Bread, Honey Mead Cake.
Dinner
As evening comes, there are still plenty more opportunities for feasting when you’re a hobbit, starting with the first of our evening meals – dinner. Our hobbit feast continues in the wild countryside of Ithilien where we make use of scavenged game in this Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs. Gollum may not have appreciated Sam cooking the rabbits with thyme, sage, and bay leaves, but we certainly prefer it! Get the recipe for Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs.
Supper
A hobbits feast wouldn’t be complete without a ‘second dinner’. As our day of feasting nears the end, we find ourselves back in a familiar place – the Shire. Unfortunately, Sam’s promise to serve Gollum his own homemade fried fish and chips if Gollum turned over a new leaf could not be fulfilled. So, we will enjoy it on his behalf in honour of the hobbits’ return to the Shire. Unlike Gollum, we can’t possibly say no to crispy, golden beer-battered fish and chips! Get the recipe for Beer-Battered Fish and Chips.
Dessert
As evening falls, our epic hobbit’s feast is coming to an end. Our hobbits have eaten their way from the Shire and back through seven lavish meals. But it wouldn’t really be a hobbit’s feast if they couldn’t find a way to squeeze one more meal in! Finish this day of extravagant feasting with the perfect dessert – hazelnut meringue cake with strawberries and cream. Get the recipe for Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Strawberries and Cream.
As night comes, our hobbit feast has come to an end and it is time to bid farewell. I would like to finish this Lord of the Rings menu with words from Tolkien’s other famous novel, The Hobbit. In a touching scene, Thorin Oakenshield bids farewell to Bilbo Baggins and reminds us of what is truly important.
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!”
– The Hobbit (Chapter 18: The Return Journey)
Lord of the Rings Menu
- First Breakfast: Savoury Dutch Baby with Tomatoes, Sausages, and Bacon
- Second Breakfast: Wild Mushrooms on Cheese Toast
- Elevenses: White Braided Bread with Whipped Brie, Berries, and Honey
- Luncheon: Beef, stout and barley soup, Ploughman’s Lunch, and Blackberry Almond Tart with Honey Whipped Mascarpone
- Afternoon Tea: Miruvor, Lavender Lembas bread, and Spiced Mead Honey Cake
- Dinner: Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs
- Supper: Beer-Battered Fish and Chips
- Dessert: Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Strawberries and Cream
Let me know what you think about the recipe, or hobbit food generally!
Follow along on Instagram @rhubarbandlavender for my Hobbit’s Feast reel series, and make sure to tag me if you make one of my recipes!
