Winston Churchill could be very demanding and picky about food. In fact, he could be downright overbearing on the subject. Some of his visits to America are legendary in regards to food, among other things, alcohol being chief (prohibition, be damned). The most famous Winston Churchill food story from America is the hilarious “white meat” incident and some top-level trolling by the Prime Minister.
It is said that in 1929, Churchill once asked for mustard to go with the Virginia ham he was served at a formal dinner in Richmond, Virginia. It was a strange request for governor Harry F. Byrd and his wife. Regardless, the hostess sent a servant to the kitchen only to find there was no mustard in the house. Thinking, of course, that Churchill would say, “Don’t be silly, that’s too much trouble,” Mrs. Byrd suggested she could dispatch someone to go buy mustard at the store. To everyone’s astonishment, Churchill thought this was fine idea, so everyone waited around watching their food get cold while waiting to the mustard to arrive.
The White Meat Incident
First, some background. Calling the breast meat of chicken “white meat” and the rest dark meat is an American thing. The British call chicken breasts just breast. In Victorian times, the British also said white meat but while this term died out in England, it survived in America.
American modesty, particularly Southern-American modesty, has always won out. Not only was breast to likely to make men think of a woman’s bosom, but even “leg” was to risqué, thus becoming “drumstick.” Of course, today Americans have no problem saying breast, leg, etc. but the terms white meat and dark meat are still used, although usually in regards to stating one’s preference for one or the other.
The white meat incident occurred during the visit referenced above, which went on for a torturous ten days. During this time, Mrs. Byrd had to contend with the fact that Churchill would walk around upstairs at night in his underwear; outright scandalous behavior for a genteel Southern lady to witness.
Churchill apologized for his faux-pas and then, the next day sent the lady a corsage. On the note accompanying the gift, he had written, “I would be most obliged if you would pin this to your white meat.”
Once Churchill finally departed Virginia at the end of his visit with the Byrds, the first lady of Virginia is said to have proclaimed, “Don’t you ever ask that dreadful man here again.” 1,2
- Kelly, C. Brian. Best Little Stories from the Life and Times of Winston Churchill. United States, Cumberland House, 2008.
- Langworth, Richard M.. Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality: What He Actually Did and Said. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.