Meet the ship's cat on his rat hunt, in the ship's new galley

Imagine it is 1866, and the cook is preparing breakfast of fresh mackerel for the last of the First Class passengers to rise. He is singing a sea shanty whilst he works, until the scratching of rats disturbs his concentration, and the cat needs a not-so-gentle reminder of its role on board. 

Preparations are in hand for a banquet in the First Class Dining Saloon, and desserts and jellied eel are ready to be taken to the pantry. Lids rattle as pots boil on the stove; cooking fish and bacon, and herbs, fill the space with pungent smells. 

Visitors experience what it would have been like on board the ss Great Britain, homeward bound after almost two months at sea.

The new ship’s galley is part of the ‘Let’s Dine!’ theme for 2011, inspired by the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘Beeton’s Book of Household Management’.

What you'll find: 

• An animatronic cat, with twitching tail
• Heat from stoves
• Delicious looking pies and pastries
• Piles of dirty dishes, and buckets of waste food
• Eeky eels and a calf’s head
• Special activities and events, including beautifully designed trails, actors, storytelling, and food-tasting sessions

Find out more