Bean-feast definition

A bean-feast, often shortened to beano, is a British term for an annual dinner provided by an employee to its workers. It can also refer to any outing and meal combo, although the definition based on an annual event is its original meaning. In its earliest usage – in the late 19th and early 20th century – it typically referred to a trip to a beauty spot, such as a forest, where the meal was served to staff.

The word has an interesting etymology, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. On the Christian feast of Twelfth Night a cake with a bean buried in it was made, called a king cake. It was considered good fortune to have the piece of cake in which the bean was buried – the person who received this slice was called the bean-king.