‘Bill of fare’ for exotic 1700s Christmas lunch at Bristol pub favoured by Charles Dickens sells for £2,400

An 18th century ‘bill of fare’ showing a Christmas lunch menu in a Bristol pub popular with Charles Dickens including turtle, starlings, owls and reindeer tongue has sold for £2,400.

The pair of vast bills list over 100 bizarre dishes and were issued by the landlord of the ‘Bush Tavern’ on Corn Street between 1775 and 1800.

The leading coaching inn was made famous by writer Dickens who used it as a setting for his novel ‘The Pickwick Papers’ after visiting in 1835.

The lists includes items such as turtles, eels, reindeer tongues, feet and veal head.

They went on sale on December 15 at Dominic Winter Auctioneers and were expected to go for between £500 - £800 - but went for £2,400.

The list is written in old English where even some letters do not mean the same as they do today; like F which was pronounced as S.

The 1790 bill of fare includes a roasting pig, reindeer tongue and a 47-pound turtle - the 1800 menu includes a 120-pound turtle.

Numerous birds are listed including cuckoo, owls, golden plovers, swan, larks, sea pheasants (pintail duck) and stares (starlings).

Many of the items are described in odd quantities, such as 122 eels, 208 small birds, 94 wild ducks and 470 minced pies.

Turkeys were apparently plentiful both years too.

The tavern is now occupied by a Lloyds Bank.