‘Steak’ croquettes made with Bovril

With meat in short supply because of the war, the Observer printed a recipe for a steak substitute.

It was suggested by a “expert” in food chemistry who was challenged to come up with something that contained all the necessary constituents of steak and was as appetising as the real thing.

The expert suggest croquettes made from an egg, an ounce of Bovril, a tablespoon of flour, five tablespoons of bread crumbs and half an ounce of dripping or butter.

The ingredients were mixed, moulded into croquettes and fried until golden brown.

It was estimated that 10 pence would cover the cost of enough croquettes to form the meat portion of a tasty meal for two persons.

The Observer said: “These croquettes have all the appetising flavour of a good steak and are rich in nitrogen and all the other food constituents essential for proper nourishment and they have the additional advantage of being particularly easy to digest.”

The task of controlling supplies of sugar was continuing.

With sugar stocks dwindling, people wishing to obtain the commodity had to register with the Food Control Office.

They had to provide officials with details about themselves and their household.

There was growing resentment among ladies at having to declare their age when filling in the sugar ration declaration forms. Some men were not too happy about it either.

“We are afraid the penalty attached to providing misleading statements of fact will not deter a good many from taking the risk as far as a year or two is concerned,” said the paper.