COOKING AT WIMBLEDON. (Daily News.)

Otago Witness, Issue 930, 25 September 1869, Page 5

COOKING AT WIMBLEDON. (Daily News.)

The refreshment department was visited by many distinguished visitors, including tho Dnko of Aberoorn, Mr Disraeli, and the Lords and Commons who were engaged in the rifle contest. The arrangements of Messrs Spiers and Pond seemed to delight and astonish them, and naturally, too, for Although the customary grumbling letters have been written about the refreshment department, tho provision made for tho bodily wants of the visitors is of the fullest and most liberal kind. Nothing on so largo or complete a aoale has ever before been attempted. An army of about 400 waiters and waitresses aro in possession of the department, all thoroughly officered and supervised. One din-ing-room will accommodate 700 persons, and here for half-a-crown the diner may be fed on fiuh, joints, and meats of several kinds, on the 41 cut and como again " principle. A '• Bhilling " room, where the fare, if oironmsoribed, is plontiful and good, will seat 900 persons. The firat-claas restaurant is fitted up for 270 porsons, who, at the rate of three and sixpence a head, can command an unlimited supply of soap, fhh, joints, poultry, pastry, «&laas, &a In addition to this vast expanse of feeding ground thoro in a bar 200 feet loner, patronlsed from morning to night by the thirsty and hungry volunteers and thoir friends. Tho most wonderful part of this portion of the camp, perhaps, is tho kitchen. Tho improvements m the art of cooking, introduced hero by Messrs William Dray and Co., of Blackfriars road, should be seen by all who oats obtain the requisite pormission to invade the precincts sacred to cookery and the cook. At tho back of tho buildings thoro are three vortical steam cgoneratora, with water tanka that will oontain a four days* supply for tho culinary wants of tho wholo camp. All tbo water is boilod with atoam jet*. In the kitchen there i« a cylinder, in whioh wo saw fifty hams boilod in five minutes from tho timo tho fitoam was tamed on. Another cylinder produoes ISO gallons of toa or coftso in tho tamo short upaco of tira*. A. not of Dray's now patent atoAraora doal with thn vogotat'let, and in them a aaok of potatoes con bo mado ready for tho table in a quarter of an hour. In another cylinder wo saw eight salmon lying aide by sido *t«»medto a turn, and wanting only tho alidod cucumbor and saaoa to fib thorn for prAotioal consumption. In oompany with tomo other miietllaaeoM ! visitors, wo walked tbrongh tho pkoo, mw jots of steam cooking ikh, floah, wad fowl, preparing soup, boiling ton, and oloaneing diahos ; and tho beat toat perhapt of tbo perfection and whoh*om«neM of too wholo wag tho fact thai no one's appotiU was intorfored with by the familiarity of oloto inapootton. Then v ono kottlo in Mr Dray's oolleotlon that will supply the wutt of 800 feet»drlnker» •wy How,