Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Universal Cookery and Food Exhibition Prize Medal 1905, silver, the obverse showing Victory presenting a wreath to a cook, with a meal set upon a table, the reverse inscribed ‘Honoris Causa Londini 1905’, the edge engraved ‘Presented by Mr. W. Burdett-Coutts M.P.’, with ‘Special Prize’ riband bar and top ‘Universal Cookery & Food Association’ top riband bar, nearly extremely fine £50-70

William Lehman Ashmead Bartlett Burdett-Coutts (1851-1921) was an American-born Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons for various Westminster constituencies from 1885-1921. He owned Colombia Market in London, and in connection with this built up a large fishing fleet in the North Sea and a considerable trade in vegetables, which led to his involvement with the Universal Cookery and Food Association.