An occasional look at the advice issued by the Ministry of Food in the years directly after the last world war.
Britain continued to ration food and so it made sense for the Government to offer a free advice service on how to plan, prepare and cook meals. Here over the next few days are a selection of the advice issued by the Food Free Advice Service of the Ministry of Food.
It is perhaps refreshing that at a time when the media continues to worry that “there may be two generations of parents who have grown up without the basic knowledge of how to cook” * that a Government agency would promote these skills and that the leaflets would be collected and carefully stored.
Britain continued to ration food and so it made sense for the Government to offer a free advice service on how to plan, prepare and cook meals. Here over the next few days are a selection of the advice issued by the Food Free Advice Service of the Ministry of Food.
It is perhaps refreshing that at a time when the media continues to worry that “there may be two generations of parents who have grown up without the basic knowledge of how to cook” * that a Government agency would promote these skills and that the leaflets would be collected and carefully stored.
The ABC of Cookery which gave "suggestions and methods of cooking and preparing food were obtainable from H.M Stationary Office or through any Bookseller. Price 1/- or ½ by post."
Today it is the turn of breakfast from a 1946 leaflet on Suggestions for Breakfast which along with porridge, were ideas using National or Wholemeal Bread for potato puffs, cheese and vegetable cutlets, fried cheese sandwiches, potato fadge with fried bacon, fried herrings and poached kippers.
Today it is the turn of breakfast from a 1946 leaflet on Suggestions for Breakfast which along with porridge, were ideas using National or Wholemeal Bread for potato puffs, cheese and vegetable cutlets, fried cheese sandwiches, potato fadge with fried bacon, fried herrings and poached kippers.
It is a rich diet for a morning meal. The potato puffs were supplied with fillings of cooked sausage meat, root vegetables or cheese. But as the leaflet emphasised, “a good breakfast every day is the first rule in the Book of Health,” and this was a time when far more of our population were engaged in heavy manual occupations.
Picture; from the ABC of Cooking, issued by the Ministry of Food, in the collection of Vince Pig
* During a discussion on You and Yours BBC Radio 4, transmitted January 5th 2012
Picture; from the ABC of Cooking, issued by the Ministry of Food, in the collection of Vince Pig
* During a discussion on You and Yours BBC Radio 4, transmitted January 5th 2012
How reassuring to see the typical morning scene in our household so accurately depicted! Me studying Simpson's Daily Chorlton Chronicle, wifie bringing me a plate of steaming victuals.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fascinating!
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