FOOD RATIONING IN BRITAIN WW2

FOOD RATIONING IN BRITAIN

RATION BOOKS

Buff-coloured ration books were for adults

Green ration books were for pregnant women and children under five years of age

They were also allowed double egg ration and one pint of milk per day

Oranges, when available, were for them also

Blue ration books

These were for children between five and 16 years of age

They were allowed full adult meat ration and 1/2 pint milk per day

There were also school dinners and free milk at playtime

Works canteens helped because ration books did not have to be shown

The same applied to the many British Restaurants

Average rations per person per week

4oz(100g) cheese

4oz(100g) bacon

2oz(50g) butter

2oz(50g) cooking fat

20z(50g) margarine

8oz(200g) sugar

4oz(100g) jam

3oz(75g) sweets

2oz(50g) tea (adults only)

Approximately:-

3/4lb(350g) minced beef or meat of equivalent value

1 fresh egg (3 for children)

3eggs as dried egg powder

7 pints of milk for school age children (most of whom had school milk)

1 pint’s worth of dried milk

Fish, bread, offal and fruit were not rationed but were often difficult to obtain. Oranges and bananas were extremely scarce and reserved for green ration book holders only. Green ration books were for children under five. Vegetables were not rationed. People with gardens or allotments grew their own. Many people kept fowl and pigs and were allowed a ration of animal feed. Pig-keepers had to be registered with a bacon factory who bought their animals and in return allowed them an allocation of ‘fry’. This was offal.

Woe betide any person who unlawfully butchered a pig! They ran the risk of imprisonment although many thought the risk worth taking.

Soap rationing restricted each person to 3 oz(75g) soap per person per week. This allowance had to be used for personal washing, laundry and house cleaning. Most people kept tiny left over slivers of soap in a jam jar which they then boiled to make a liquid soap.

Water had to be used with care. Five inches(13cms) of water was the recommended allowance for the WEEKLY bath.

CLOTHING COUPONS

In 1940 60 clothing coupons were allocated per person per year. Later in the war this was reduced to 48.

A man’s coat         =16 coupons

A woman’s coat    =14 coupons

A dress                  =11 coupons

A pair of shoes      = 5 coupons

The Black Market thrived everywhere. Although not in many homes where money was as tight as the rationing. Parachute silk was a luxury for anyone lucky to obtain some.

Food rationing ended on 4 July 1954