January 2, 2026
4 tons of beef, 1 spicy comment
Soho 1851: The Greatest Christmas Meal Ever Cooked
Internet drools over Victorian mega-feast and bickers about AI, nostalgia, and posh Soho vibes
TLDR: In 1851, Soho’s Ham Yard hosted a charity Christmas feast serving four tons of meat to thousands. Today, commenters marvel at the scale, clash over AI recreations versus historical purity, and poke at modern gentrification—turning a feel‑good throwback into a debate on how we remember generosity.
A 19th‑century Christmas blowout in Soho—four tons of roast, pies the size of toddlers, and a band playing waltzes—has today’s commenters absolutely wide‑eyed. The feel‑good history sparked a modern food fight: some cheers, some jeers, and a surprise villain—AI. User dole dropped an AI recreation, and the crowd split like a Christmas pudding. One camp is all in on tasteful visual remakes to bring the day to life; the other claps back that digitizing hardship turns charity into cosplay. Meanwhile, locals are side‑eyeing today’s swanky Ham Yard Hotel, joking it’s gone “from soup to spritzers,” and asking why this mega‑banquet isn’t a modern tradition. Food nerds nitpicked the “celebrity chef” angle, with memes dubbing Prince Albert the OG food reviewer for rating the soup “excellent.” The Monster Pie (60 lbs!) became a star character—cue riffs comparing it to influencer mukbangs and “no fights over gravy” thanks to 70 Victorian cops. Beyond the jokes, a warmer thread runs through: people want the generosity back, minus the pomp, and they’re low‑key inspired by how meticulously the event was run—ticketed seatings, flags of all nations, and strict decorum that somehow still felt magical.
Key Points
- •On 25 December 1851, a large Christmas charity banquet was held in Ham Yard, Soho, serving thousands.
- •The event was organized by the St Bernard Hospice and Leicester Square Soup Kitchen, managed by the National Philanthropic Association.
- •Food donations included 9,000 pounds of roast and baked meat, 178 beef pies, multiple game and meat pies, and 20 roast geese, plus a 60-pound “Monster” pie.
- •Logistics included timed, ticketed seatings of 300 diners every half hour, a decorated marquee, live music, and 70 police officers present; no disturbances were reported.
- •The refuge regularly supported up to 1,000 people daily, and Prince Albert had visited in 1848, praising its soup.