Eating Habits of the Rich - The rich ate the meat of both domestic animals and game animals. They also ate fish, fruit, soft cheese, eggs, coloured jellies, vegetables, sauces and soups, salads, white bread, pies and tarts, and ornate sweet dishes called subtleties. Food was washed down with ale, wine or a brew made from honey and water. Banquets were held on important religious feast days, and to mark events such as marriages, coronations, special birthdays, tournaments and the arrival of important guests. Important people, such as members of the lord’s family, sat at a higher table than other diners. Feasts often lasted for hours. In between the many courses, diners were entertained by acrobats, minstrels, troubadours, storytellers, jugglers and jesters.