20/02/2026
📣PRESS RELEASE: A medieval banquet for a 21st century look at the history of Harwich.
How would you like to experience how John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, ate at his Grand Harwich manor house in 1481? 🤔
Well, in an event on the afternoon of Saturday 7th March titled, ‘My Lord came to Harwich’, Nick May and the Lambards Harwich team are going to give you the opportunity and it is all for a very good cause.
Victoria County History Essex are adding the final touches to Volume XIII on Harwich and Dovercourt and all proceeds from the event will go to the Victoria County History Essex Trust, which finances the publishing costs of this hugely important work.
Both Harwich Town Council and the Harwich Society have made their extensive archives available to the researchers involved in this major project.
Neil O’Hare from the Harwich Society’s archaeological team says, “This VCH volume on Harwich and Dovercourt will be of great benefit in terms of our understanding of the history of Harwich and Dovercourt and we were looking for a way to both promote the project and raise money for their work. Nick came up with the idea of creating a medieval banquet as would have been enjoyed by John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk, in 1481 and everyone agreed this would be a fitting way to bring medieval Harwich to life.”
Nick and his team at Lambards Harwich in King's Head Street in Harwich have produced a six course tasting menu based on the provisions available to Lord Howard's cooks.
The menu is a modern reimagining rather than a reproduction but Dr. Herbert Eiden will be on hand to give a talk on Lord Howard's household and food and drink in the 15th century. In fact both the outgoing and incoming editors of Victoria County History Essex will be in attendance at the event as well as Nick and his staff.
“It is not difficult to stroll through the narrow streets of Historic Harwich and imagine yourself 500 years back in history,” continued Neil O’Hare. “Well, for one afternoon, Nick and his team are going to extend that journey into the fine dining facilities of Lambards Harwich to provide a medieval banquet fit for a 15th century Duke!”
Tickets for the event are £55 per head and to view the menu and to book seats please visit: https://lambardsharwich.co.uk/coming-soon/
For further information please contact:
Press Officer, Garry Calver on 01255 551940
https://www.harwich-society.co.uk/medieval-banquet/
