The Beatles eat a horse for Christmas dinner in Hamburg (2024)

On their only day off during their third and final residency at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, The Beatles ate Christmas dinner at the city’s British seaman’s mission.

The British Mariner’s Mission was run by Jim Hawke, and was situated at Johannisbollwerk 20. The Beatles went there often, for cheap food and drink and a warm place to stay, during the days in Hamburg when they weren’t performing.

They ate the Christmas lunch with another band The Dominoes. However, the food wasn’t what either group were expecting.

The minister attached to the Mission said, ‘Would anyone like to say grace?’ and George in his wonderful deadpan way said, ‘Yes, thank Christ for the soup.’ The minister said, ‘Any more of that and you’re all out.’ We ate steaks and we found out later that they were horse steaks. We’d eaten a horse for Christmas.

John Frankland, The Dominoes
The Cavern, Spencer Leigh

Last updated: 19 December 2018