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The webmaster, Pat Cryer, as a child

British Restaurants in 1940s wartime Britain

What British Restaurants were

Purpose-built World War Two prefabricated British Restaurant

Purpose-built prefabricated British Restaurant in Hendon, courtesy of Tony Woods. Our British Restaurant in Edgware was identical except that the road ran along the long side. What always struck me was its whiteness.

In 1941, to combat the severity of rationing in World War Two, the Government set up what were known as British Restaurants. They were to sell basic meals at reasonable prices, off-ration.

These British Restaurants were sited so that they were in fairly easy reach of most families. Generally there were suitable halls already in existence - see the box on the right - but otherwise special pre-fabricated buildings were put up on waste ground - see the photo.

Our British Restaurant in Edgware, north London, where I grew up was such a prefabricated building. It was painted white and was on the site of what later became the public library. My mother never took me into it, so I am relying on others to explain how the system worked - again see the boxes on the right.

British Restaurants were unique in terms of the food being basic, cheap and off-ration.

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Experiences of British Restaurants

My mother managed a British Restaurant. These restaurants were quick and cheap to set up because existing halls were requisitioned for the purpose. Church halls and working men's clubs were typical locations because they already had basic cooking facilities and tables and chairs.

Another reason why the meals could be provided so cheaply was that the catering, cooking and washing up, etc were all provided by volunteers - normally older women who regarded their input as a contribution to the war effort. They tended to be members of the Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) and wore green uniforms.

British Restaurants were more like canteens than restaurants. Customers collected a tray and queued up to receive their food. This was cooked on site.

Dick Hibberd

In Bury St Edmunds the British Restaurant was set up in Greene King's brewery yard in Crown Street. It was very popular with schoolchildren and workers alike. We queued at the entrance with our old pennies. Then, depending on the state of our wealth that day we were issued with brown, green and, I think yellow tokens. One for the main course, one for the 'sweet' and the other for a cup of tea. I think all three cost 10d, but I cannot recall ever being in that gourmet range. We sat on long wooden benches and I believe the tables were covered in American cloth (a fabric with a glazed or varnished wipe-clean surface). The amply-built ladies who served us seemed to have had some military training! They wore green overalls, the uniform of the WVS (Women's Voluntary Service, a support unit for the ARP) (Air Raid Precautions)).

Rob Williams

We occasionally ate at the Edgware British Restaurant when out shopping. They had some sort of token system for main course and desert, but my mother always took care of that. There were wobbly fold-up tables and benches, rather like at school dinners, but there were additionally table cloths. These were made of American cloth (a sort of waxy/oil-skin type of material which could easily be wiped clean) and they had check pattern which reminded me of a draught board.

For the main course, I only recall mashed potato with minced meat and maybe peas, but I enjoyed the desserts. There was something like trifle and ‘spotted dick’ (a stodgy pudding with raisins in it), both served with runny custard.

Tony Woods

I went to a British Restaurant in Edgware once but all I remember was the very runny custard.

Christine Tolton

It was at the British Restaurant that I discovered something about why we eat food in the order that we do today. Let me explain. One day I was in a hurry when I went to the local British Restaurant. So I got my soup, meat and two veg, and pudding with custard, collected my knife fork and spoons, and went to a table to eat my food. The soup was far too hot, the main course was hot, but the pudding was just right. So I started with the pudding and worked backwards to the soup which was just right temperature by the time I got to it. I felt as sick as a dog afterwards, and have never been tempted to repeat the experience again. Obviously we eat food in the order we do for very good reasons.

Dick Hibberd

During our school holidays we would go to a British Restaurant. Ours in Edmonton was in the local church hall. We got a main course, afters, and a mug of tea, all for less than a shilling.

Peter Johnson

    

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Civic Restaurants and experiences of them

British Restaurants were renamed Civic Restaurants in 1946, ie after the war ended, but they did not last long. The one where I lived in Edgware was pulled down to make way for a new public library.

There was a 'Civic Restaurant' on Crayford High Street in Kent. I can still remember being intrigued by the name, as at the time, as a boy of 8 or 9, I wasn't at all sure what 'Civic' meant! As it was ‘Civic’ not ‘British, it must have been immediately after the war. The site it occupied was a pre-war two story building with flats above, now two or three shops.

My grandfather, on one of his frequent sorties for something to augment the rations, took me there for something to eat, probably because I continually complained of being hungry! I was there on one occasion only, but the memory of that day is still one of my many wartime and post-war memories!

The place seemed vast to me at the time, although it was probably quite small in reality - plain painted green walls, long tables in two or three rows, and an assortment of old chairs. As other contributors have said, the tables were covered in glossy American cloth, a checked pattern, that I clearly recall. So it may have been a Government issue.

We were served by a lone WVS lady wearing the WVS uniform in dark green - something like 'olive' green or perhaps 'British Racing Green'. There was a red and green emblem on the breast, and I am pretty sure, a belt of brown leather. There was also a felt hat, but I can't remember the exact style, except that it had a brim and was something like a smaller version of the Australian bush hat.

Granddad bought me a sponge pudding with runny custard-which didn't impress me! He sat watching me as I ate it. I think he had a cup of tea and a bun-and a smoke!

Michael Sullivan

     

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This website Join me in the 1900s is also known as Join me in the 1900's and is © Pat Cryer.

The 1940s and 1950s are also written as the 1940's and 1950's.

COPING WITH FOOD RATIONING

DIFFICULTIES COOKING MEALS

EATING OUT OFF-RATION

SEE ALSO

If you have an old photo which would illustrate this page, I would very much appreciate a copy.

Pat Cryer, webmaster