British Restaurant

British Restaurants were communal kitchens created during the Second World War to ensure communities and people who had run out of rationing coupons were still able to eat.

They were set up by the Ministry of Food and run by local committees on a non-profit making basis. Meals were purchased for a set maximum price of 9 pence (equivalent to just under 4p in today's money or $2 or roughly £1 in purchasing power 2008) or less. No-one could be served with a meal of more than one serving of meat, game, poultry, fish, eggs, or cheese. [http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Museum%20Docs/foodrationpage9.htm Food Rationing pages at www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk] accessed 6 Apr 2008] Restaurants in the UK were not subject to rationing but some restrictions were placed on them, for instance no meal could be more than three courses and the maximum price was five shillings (equivalent to 25 pence today, but $10 or £5 in buying power 2008).

Originally called 'Community Feeding Centres', the name British Restaurants was preferred by Winston ChurchillThomas, E.O."Slade Green and the Crayford Marshes", Bexley Education and Leisure Services Directorate, 2001, ISBN 0902 541 552] .

By mid-1941 over 200 of these restaurants existed in the London County Council area, although the Wartime Social Survey conducted in 1942-43 indicated they were more popular in London than in the rest of the country [http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/War/londonRation.html Food Rationing pages at www.history.ac.uk] accessed 6 Apr 2008]

Some smaller places did not qualify for a British Restaurant but instead had what was termed a Cash and Carry Restaurant with meals being delivered from a British Restaurant in the area [http://www.bpears.org.uk/Misc/War_NE/w_section_03.html War in the North East pages at www.bpears.org.uk] ]

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