This card gives us a very famous British dish, shepherds pie, also known as cottage pie. It is also, oddly, popular in France, where it is known as "hachis parmentier". Basically it is cooked, minced meat, generally lamb, and often mutton (hence the Shepherd`s connection) - though it can also be made with beef. On the top of the meat is a layer of mashed potato often with stripes incised across the top with a fork ,and then the whole confection is baked in an oven.
In our original British Trade Index part II, all seven sets are catalogued together, as :
INN SIGNS. Md. 76 x 51 ... WHI-1
1. First Series. Nd. (50). On aluminium
2. Second Series. Nd. (50). On aluminium
3..Third Series. Nd. (50). On (a) aluminium (b) board
4. Fourth Series. Nd. (50). On board
5. Fifth Series. Nd. (50). On board
6. Special issue of Four. Nd. (4). On board
7. The Britannia Inn. Unnd. (1). On boardNote : Signs were also issued uncoloured by certain Inns on the backs of calling cards, as pin-ons, etc.
In our original British Trade Index part III there were more sets, these having been issued more recently. The entry also updates item 7 :
7. The Britannia Inn. Back (a) plain (b) printed, with reference to Brussels 1958 Exhibition.
8. Whitbread`s Inn Signs - 1958. On board. Series of 3.
1. Duke Without a Head
2. The Railway
3. The Startled Saint
9. Black and White reproductions, partly with proprietor`s names on reverse. 4 known.
1. Oak & Ivy - Hawkhurst
2. The Old Cock, Hildenborough
3. Spread Eagle, Chatham
4. Trafalgar Maid (back blank)
This section 9 is added to in our original British Trade Index part IV, with :
9. Black and White reproductions. Add :
5. Camden Hotel, Pembury
6. The Woolpack
Now I thought I had featured one of these sets before, but that turns out to be a later issue, "The History of Whitbread Inn Signs” (1973). There were eleven sets under this title, and you can read more about those on another page, for we featured one of them as our Card of the Day for the 28th of November 2023
There is also a reference book about the signs - called "Whitbread Inn-Signia" by David Cockell and Chris Laming. This was first issued in 1996, and it is quite scarce but we have a copy in our library with the code of W.22.