On this day in 1940 (info. from Chambers Book of Days) the first rationing of WWII was introduced in Britain. It started with bacon and ham, butter and sugar.
Rationing had been talked about in Parliament in the early 1930’s as soon as war seemed likely. They had learned that ‘Food is a Munition of War’ as soon as submarine attacks began targeting shipping and caused severe shortages in 1916 and during the rest of the Great War.
Farming was really in the doldrums at this time mainly caused by the Depression of the 1930s when many farmworkers had left the land for the towns for better pay in the factories. Marginal land had gone back to brambles, gorse and bracken and drainage had been neglected leaving land boggy and useless. So that in 1939 Britain was dependent on imports for 92% of fats, 51% of meat and bacon,73% of sugar and 87% of flours and cereals as well as a large amount of cheese, eggs and vegetables. (info from the Spuds, Spam etc book below)
There had to be a way of distributing limited amounts fairly and rationing made sure that the more well off couldn’t buy more of basic foods than those with a smaller income. Other things were rationed later on and also a points system introduced for foods that were not always available.
Among my WWII Home Front book collection I’ve got several good books about food production, rationing and cooking at the time.
There’s a Facebook Group HERE where many people are doing a 21st century rations challenge either to save money, to lose weight or just out of curiosity.
I wouldn’t want to do a war-time ration challenge as I’m too fond of fruit but have a couple of times in the past few years done challenges of eating only local – East Anglian- produced foods for a week at a time, it’s not easy and would be even harder now I can’t grow much (and blasted pigeons have ruined my Purple Sprouting Broccoli!) So much of our food is still imported and as houses keep being built on farmland I can’t see that improving.
If rationing had to happen now I wonder what food would be rationed first?
Although going by what happened during Covid perhaps it wouldn’t be food but would have to be toilet rolls!
(And nothing to do with anything above – I’m looking forward to a new series of Silent Witness starting tonight – I know some people think it’s too far from the truth of what really happens in a path. lab. but I like it anyway. And it’s a series of 10 which is more than they usually make.)
Back Tomorrow
Sue
