Food for Thought: Eating and Drinking at Osgoode Hall

Young & Hungry

The Executive Orders of Convocation detail some of the earliest rules and regulations of the Law Society. Among rules banning the playing of cards and laying out contracts for servants are hints into what eating and drinking looked like in the first days of Osgoode Hall.

In the early days the building doubled as home for students. Beginning in 1832 until 1838, students boarded at Osgoode Hall. Breakfast, Dinner, and Tea were provided to boarders and could also be purchased by members of the Law Society. Breakfast was served at 8am sharp, Dinner at 5pm, and Tea at 8pm. You were on your own for lunch! For boarders with a more lavish taste, a bottle of wine could be provided for 5 shillings (around $21 today).

Learning, living, and eating together meant that students were fully immersed in life at Osgoode Hall.

Coffee Break

In 1876, an article was published in the Canada Law Journal complaining about the lack of amenities at Osgoode Hall. Coffee was sorely missing. Barristers who went off searching for a cup “sometimes [found] their cases struck out on their return to court”. A lunchroom opened by 1879.

As evident by this complaint, coffee breaks were just as important in the earlier days of Osgoode Hall as they are today. Coffee and tea breaks provide a chance to take a brief reprieve from work and strike up conversation with a colleague while your beverage brews. These breaks serve as much as a social function as they do a caffeine boost.

This sugar and creamer set dates to 1883 and was used by the directors of the Law Society (Benchers). While we can enjoy the wonders of instant coffee and beverage machines today, the art of a coffee break took a bit more effort in the earlier days of Osgoode Hall.

Cafeteria Days

These dessert plates were used in the Law Society's cafeteria up until 2005. The cafeteria was established around 1957 to feed the law students and staff of the Law Society. Prior to the opening of the cafeteria, students complained of a lack of a space to eat together. The "benefits of unity and spirit, which would be fostered" by eating together, "were lost".

The cafeteria offered a convenient place for staff and students alike to eat and socialize. It was far less formal than the newly opened restaurant in Convocation Hall. While the students could now enjoy the “unity” of mealtime, they found themselves sometimes disappointed in the quality of the food. In the 60s, the students filed complaints that the food was flavourless, dirty, and sometimes downright inedible.

Despite its initial rocky start, and until its closure by COVID, the cafeteria was an important shared space in Osgoode Hall. The cafeteria fed students, staff, and others looking for a fresh and well-priced lunch.

Feed the Hungry, the Law Society’s charitable initiative, now operates out of the cafeteria. The program serves an average of 1,100 meals a week treating each visitor as a guest to be welcomed and served. Feed the Hungry demonstrates the important social role food plays at Osgoode Hall to promote community and foster a sense of belonging.

Let’s Drink to That

If you wanted to have a good night out in Toronto in the 19th century, the At Home was the place to be. At Homes were a yearly celebration hosted by the Osgoode Hall Law School students and were regarded as the event of the season. The parties were a who’s who of Toronto society, with the finest food and refreshments. Some were catered by Webb’s, Toronto’s premier caterer.

Alcohol was likely a culprit in the eventual banning of the At Homes at Osgoode Hall. The 1930 iteration devolved into drunken shenanigans, with the students behaving in such an “indecorous” manner that further At Homes were barred. This champagne glass dates to the 1960’s and wasn’t used in the At Homes, but does remind us of the social role of sharing food and drink.

From graduation ceremonies to banquets, glasses are held aloft to toast different professional milestones. Though the days of hooped ballgowns and calling cards have passed, Osgoode Hall remains an important social center for those in the legal professions in Ontario.

A Very Special Place

Opening in 1957 in Convocation Hall, the Osgoode Hall restaurant was intended to be a place where lawyers working in the courts could eat lunch. Initially, etiquette dictated that judges did not eat at the restaurant so that they wouldn’t overhear lawyers discussing cases they may be ruling on. Instead, judges had their own lunchroom.

Even as the Osgoode Hall Restaurant became less exclusive, it remained a place where members of the legal professions could come together and share a meal. Eating at the restaurant was a rite of passage for new students and associates. Lawyers commiserated or celebrated over lunch.

For those members of the public in the know, eating lunch at Osgoode Hall felt like a special event. You could enjoy a gourmet lunch alongside well-known legal personalities. For the opera matinee crowd, the restaurant added to an enjoyable afternoon on Queen St.

This pickling jar was used by chefs at the Osgoode Hall Restaurant to pickle local produce like peaches, beets, and asparagus. Like the restaurant, it now stands empty. The dining room closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Given the weak restaurant market, its future is uncertain.

Bencher’s Dining Room

It is said that the dining room for the directors (Benchers) of the Law Society is one of the oldest in Canada. Many Benchers became influential figures in Toronto and Canadian history. The chairs lining the large table may be as old as the room and could tell some interesting stories.

The Victorians elevated the dining table to a place of formality and display. The table was a place to show off fine china and elaborate cutlery. To this day, the table is decorated with silverware, gifted by past presidents of the Law Society at the end of their term.

Lunch time in the Bencher’s dining room has offered a chance to sit down together and take a pause from the day’s work.

A Meal Fit for a Princess

What does a princess eat? Well, on June 21, 1962, she had cold salmon and limped cucumber. When Mary, the Princess Royal was called to the Bar and made an honorary director of the Law Society, a carefully crafted menu was served for the occasion. The guest of honour’s preferences were considered, and the best wines were sourced for the luncheon. The Law Society has hosted countless dignitaries and political figures. These meals are part of an important social function of the Law Society, strengthening relationships that bolster its mandate both locally and internationally.

Nice Place for a Picnic

Osgoode Hall is a popular setting for picnics, coffee chats, and lunch breaks. The protected space is like a shared backyard in a part of the city where greenery is rare. In the earlier days of Osgoode Hall, the grounds were intended for use by the law students and members of the legal profession. The grounds of Osgoode Hall seemed like an out-of-reach oasis in a city that had only recently grown out of its reputation for its muddiness and dirtiness.

Despite its formidable fence, the public is welcome on the grounds. Unlike other aspects of Osgoode Hall where you may need a reservation or an invitation to dine, all you need to do to eat on the lawn is to walk through the gates.

One of the earliest recorded instances of dining on the Osgoode Hall grounds comes in June of 1919. During a high-profile case, the Toronto World reported that “many of the audience did not even leave at noon for lunch. They had brought it along with them, and the lawn during the noon recess resembled a picnic party.”

Whether it’s a picnic or a quiet place to sip on your coffee you are after, Osgoode Hall’s beautifully kept grounds are a unique shared space in the city.

Image courtesy of Corporate Law Society Archives P96.