Wealthy people could still afford food but people in poorer communities were suffering from malnutrition. Sugar was the first food to be rationed in January The first commodity to be rationed in late was petrol, followed in January by the first foodstuffs: bacon, ham, butter, and sugar.
Other products soon followed, especially foods that were normally imported or came from scarce animal sources, such as meat, cheese, margarine, eggs, milk, tea, breakfast cereals, rice, and biscuits. By mid most foodstuffs were rationed, except fresh vegetables, fruit, fish and bread.
Other scarce commodities were rationed too, such as clothing, shoes, fuel, and soap. As the war progressed, the rationing system was refined to accommodate different needs.
In order to ensure the fairest allocation of food possible, the Ministry of Food created classifications according to age and profession. Workers doing heavy labour were entitled to larger rations than other adult workers; children received smaller rations but relatively higher proportions of fats and proteins, and nursing or expectant mothers were entitled to larger allotments of milk and other animal-source foodstuffs.
Supplementary rations were also given to the sick and people doing work that was considered to be detrimental to their health. Rationing involved a complex purchasing system. Similar to the situation in many German-occupied countries, each person received a personal ration card with a certain number of coupons — later supplemented by a points system — that could be used at shops where they were registered.
Officially, none of the rationed articles could be bought or sold without these coupons or points. Unofficially, many people also bought foods clandestinely and, in common with other countries, the black market thrived in wartime Britain.
To support the rationing scheme, in the Ministry of Food also established canteens. Other canteens catered those in need of extra meals, such as factory and company workers, as well as schoolchildren. The number of school meals increased from about , before the war to 1.
These meals provided them with up to 1, calories a day, or half of their daily requirements. Although rationing meant a major change for the British people, generally speaking, the wartime food policies made sure that nobody fell short of basic nutritional requirements. The main exception to this was the German-occupied Channel Islands, which suffered a severe food crisis during final months of the war and occupation.
The end of the war in May did not mean an end to rationing. Shortages persisted and bread, which had been freely available during the war, was rationed for two years from July Animal products such as cheese, bacon, ham, meat and fats as well as sugar also remained scarce. It took until mid before rationing finally ended. An organised system of rationing could help control the prices of basic foods as well as ensure a sufficient and regular supply.
Rationing was gradually introduced and was in force throughout Scotland by April Sugar was the first to be rationed and this was later followed by butcher meat. By the end of the war almost all foods were subject to price control by the government.
Rationing did ensure fairer supplies of food at reasonable prices, but the defeat of the U-boats and the surrender of Germany in November , meant that Britain did not have to test the rationing system to its limits. The Royal Navy's blockade had led to a lack of food and war material in Germany, so arguably victory had gone to the country that could manage its shortages most effectively. British food from the Romans to Sunday roast dinners, fish and chips and the great British curry! Industry produced the munitions to fight the war whilst agriculture was vital to produce enough food to feed the nation….
Food in Britain changed tremendously in the 15 years from the end of rationing to the start of the s…. Ever wondered how much food a person was entitled to during World War Two? You might be wondering how this was even possible. Detail from leaflet below By Stephen Wilson. Related articles.
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