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Feeding the People in Wartime Britain From National Kitchens to British Restaurants

8 May 2023

Trainee cooks during World War Two sit in front of a blackboard where a teacher is going through the recipes they are about to learn

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Bryce EvansCoupons and ration books during war was a way for the British government to try and ensure that restricted items were distributed as fairly as possible, and while it wasn’t perfect, it worked pretty well most of the time. At the same time, during both World War One and World War Two, there were concerted efforts to feed people. It started with centrally cooked meals that people took home to eat, but soon blossomed into a far-reaching network of government-run restaurants. A new book — Feeding the People in Wartime Britain — from historian Bryce Evans uncovers the past and offers some ideas for the present.

Notes

  1. Bryce Evans’ website includes his post on bringing back national kitchens. Early on in his research, he prompted an article by the BBC.
  2. Feeding the People in Wartime Britain is published by Bloomsbury Academic.
  3. Cover and banner photos © Imperial War Museum.

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