WE’LL EAT AGAIN
MUTTON TURKEY, FARMHOUSE SCRAMBLE, CORNED BEEF AND OATMEAL PIE… IT’S BEEN 80 YEARS SINCE SECOND WORLD WAR RATIONING GAVE BRITISH MEALTIMES A NEW CULINARY TWIST
It wasn’t a happy start to 1940. Britain was still at war – and on 8 January, rationing was introduced. Britain was one of the last countries to enforce rationing, with Germany having rations in place before it even went to war. It had also been implemented in the First World War – but understandably people weren’t thrilled to see its return.
One of the reasons rationing came so late to Britain was because of a huge Daily Mail public campaign. Still, with ever fewer countries able to supply Britain with its food, rationing became an inevitability. When the news broke, the
Daily Mail was outraged, thundering that there could be no bigger blow to the people, even if
“Dr Goebbels were asked to help to devise a more harmful piece of propaganda for Great Britain.”
In January 1940, bacon and ham were limited to 4oz (113g, or about 3½ rashers of bacon) per person per week. This was swiftly followed by rationing on most other basics, including sugar, butter and even – shudder! – tea. Trips to the shop demanded a ration book and a good deal of patience. After a long wait you could pick up your weekly allowance, which might include one egg ( plus dried egg powder), 2oz (roughly two small handfuls) of grated cheese and about two chops worth of meat.
YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS
The importation of most fruit also stopped, with oranges saved for children. To keep the nation healthy, the Ministry of Agriculture launched the famed Dig for Victory campaign, calling for
Trips to the shop demanded a ration book and a good deal of patience
Britons to grow their own. Even the royal family turned part of their garden into an allotment.
Dig for Victory introduced mascot propaganda vegetables Dr Carrot and Potato Pete who called for the country to dig into these nutritious foods.
Although city folk grew what they could (some used what little garden space they had to keep livestock), people in the countryside had a bit of a leg up. Some farmers took advantage of this, selling crops and goods on the black market. Of course, this was illegal, with hefty fines and prison time for those caught.
THE KITCHEN FRONT
Feeding a family on such a small amount of food was a challenge. Invention was key, and meals were created out of very little – a challenge for even the most imaginative of cooks.
To help, in came a new BBC radio programme called The Kitchen Front. Often presented by celebrities and comedians, such as the hugely popular Gert and Daisy, it covered everything from how to make mutton taste like a Christmas turkey (stuff it like a turkey, then smother in bread sauce) to keeping glass shards away from food should a bomb blow in your windows.
THE DINNERTIME BATTLE
Soon enough home chefs were whipping up some innovative (sometimes dubious) meals. A special weekend breakfast might be a farmhouse scramble (see far left). Then, for dinner, corned beef and oatmeal pudding was a favourite: steaming breadcrumbs, vegetables and oatmeal together with a tin of corned beef.
Spam from North America – “an oasis in our desert of mediocrity” – was cause for celebration
Those with a sweet tooth enjoyed concoctions such as ‘potato chocolate’ spread, made from cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and, yes, mash. Dripping cake – made with clarified dripping instead of butter and no egg ( you only got one a week) – may have been flat as a pancake, but it was chock full of mixed spice and currants.
No level of ingenuity could make up for the fact that wartime food was bland. The arrival of Spam from North America – “an oasis in our desert of mediocrity” – was cause for celebration.
THE END?
Although the war ended in 1945, it took almost a decade for rationing to come to an end. It wasn’t until July 1954 that restrictions on food were finally lifted. The jubilation was immediate: people burnt their ration books and the London Housewives Association held a celebratory flag-waving meeting in Trafalgar Square. The war on food was finally over.