Rationing

Rationing during the Second World War has always being something of a great interest to me. Seeing how people managed to still eat full, healthy meals whilst having all their food purchases limited is impressive, yet must also have been greatly difficult. 

The most important, and common piece of information when it comes to rationing, is what was rationed and the quantities in which people were allowed to purchase. With rationing beginning in 1940 (having been postponed several times), here is the amounts an individual adult would be given on a weekly basis;

• Bacon & Ham       4 oz
• Butter                    2 oz
• Cheese                 2 oz
• Margarine             4 oz
• Cooking fat           4 oz
• Milk                       3 pints
• Eggs                     1 fresh egg (Dried eggs were supplemented)
• Tea                        2 oz
  
• Sugar                    8 oz
  
• Sweets                 12 oz every 4 weeks
• Preserves             1 lb every 2 months. 

Additional food was provided for those in the Armed Forces, those in the Women's Land Army, and other essential workers such as those who worked in the mines.

True to thought, this was not a lot of food. However, other food items, specifically vegetables, were not rationed and thus people were able to bulk meals up with these items, or simply have a vegetable based meal. As they were grown at home on British soil, there was no shortage of this foodstuff. There was also no rationing on fish and fruit. However, as the war continued, these foods became more and more expensive. At one point, a single banana sold for the equivalent of £5 today. Onions also became rare, and one sold for around £4 in todays currency. Alongside food, soap, fuel, paper, even hot water became rationed and could only be purchased/used in small quantities, with baths only being allowed to use a few inches of hot water.

Food shortages occured mainly due to the lack of the ability to import food into Britain. At the time of the Second World War, Britain was importing around 20million tonnes of food into the country. A tactic by Germany was to try and sink these ships that were helping to feed the people of Britain in an attempt to starve the population and decrease morale. So rationing was implemented to help prevent this from happening and keep the country going.

And how was rationing conducted? With the use of rationing books.

These rationing books had coupons inside in which people would take to their local shops and the shopkeepers would either sign, or cut out the coupons, whenever people purchased the rationed food.

As visible in the picture to the side, there is also a clothing rationing book. This was introduced in June 1941. Much like food rationing, these coupons would be handed over to the shopkeeper who would take the coupon and then the cash from the individual carrying out the purchase. 

Everyone was given 60 coupons which had to then last them a year. Unliked adults, children were given an extra 10 coupons. Alongside this, parents were encouraged to purchase clothing for their children in a larger size in order to ensure that the items lasted longer and that no replacements were needed to be purchased if the child was to outgrow them. After all, these rationing books allowed people to purchase one new outfit per year. 

The coupons required for each item of clothing for both men and women can be found below;

 

Clothing rationing ended in March 1949. 

Back to food rationing, the Government tried to help as much as they could to keep the nation fed. The Ministry of Food was developed to help the nation eat and give them meal ideas as well as trying to help reduce as much food waste as they could. This was done through the use of leaflets, radio programmes, and campaigns. They would inform the public on matters involving nutrition, food issues, as well as providing said recipes and answering any questions that were sent to them. 

Eating home grown produce was also an essential part of the campaign. Getting people to eat vegetables that could be grown anywhere in Britain was so important. So important that it was not just adults that these campaigns were aimed at. They were also aimed at children with  the use of "Potato Pete" and "Dr Carrot" which attempted to get them to eat up all of their vegetables at meal times.

Many meals that contained meat were also provided with alternatives that were mock recipes that replaced the meat, or rationed foodstuff, with alternatives. For example, Lord Woolton Pie, which has been said to have been a "steak and kidney pie, without the steak and kidney". Carrots were also a staple repacement, with a popular image that shows ices having been replaced with carrots. (Which you can see below).

Alongside this, carrot fudge was introduced as sweets became too scarce. This was a sweet snacks were basically gone, and became a treat. 

Carrot biscuits also made an appearance as they were used to sweeten up the recipe. They were also used in cakes.

Carrots were a propaganda success. From being said to be as good as ice cream to children to being said that they would help with seeing in the dark. The great myth that carrots helped you see at night actually originated from the war. It was the British Intelligence that spread this very rumour, having said that the Vitamin A helped pilots vision at night. 

Whilst war ended in 1945, rationing did not. It continued many years after the war, with certain foodstuff that was not rationed during the war becoming rationed afterwards. For example, bread went on ration in July 1946 (due to a shortage in wheat) and did not end until exactly two years later in July 1948, when the Marshall Aid came into effect.

It was undoubtably a difficult time for everyone who was victim of their food being rationed. Can you imagine queueing up for hours in long lines only to finally reach the front, feeling so happy you're there, only to be informed that some of the items you required were gone? It must have been devastating.

Rationing did not offically end until 1954, with meat being the last thing to be de-rationed. After 14 years, the people of Britain were finally able to enjoy food again without being limited to the amount they were allowed.