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This was quite a momentous day in 1953, for it was the day that sugar came off ‘the book’ after almost fourteen years of rationing.
Food rationing was introduced on 8 January 1940 just four months after the outbreak of war, and limits were imposed on the sale of bacon, sugar and butter. Three months later all meat was rationed and gradually tea, jam, biscuits, cereals, cheese, eggs, milk and canned fruit were rationed also along with petrol, coal, soap and clothing as well as other items including paper.
Though there were additional allowances for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and vegetarians, the introduction of rationing led to higher prices, wholesale queuing and the development of a widespread black market. Restaurants were exempt, although strict price controls were implemented which largely had the effect of limiting any potential excesses.
Britain’s favourite dish, fish and chips, was not on ration though the price of fish rose considerably as the war progressed. The government allowed this as fishermen had to be paid extra if they were to be encouraged to put to sea while enemy submarines were about.
Due to the need to help feed people around Europe, bread was rationed in 1946 and potatoes the following year through to 1948. Though the rationing of flour was lifted in 1948, clothes in 1949 and then petrol and many other things in 1950, the rationing of bacon and meats, the last to go, was not lifted until July 1954.
It was the removal of sugar and sweet rationing today in 1953 that may have had the most impact since people needn’t then worry about having it in their drinks or housewives rationing it in their cooking. Certainly, I as a lad of nine remember being able to go to the sweet shop and have the entire contents at my disposal.
Being able to go into a sweetshop and look at all those jars full of different types of sweets, many not available now, and being able to buy a couple of ounces of this and two more of that .. aah, those were the days!
.
This was quite a momentous day in 1953, for it was the day that sugar came off ‘the book’ after almost fourteen years of rationing.
Food rationing was introduced on 8 January 1940 just four months after the outbreak of war, and limits were imposed on the sale of bacon, sugar and butter. Three months later all meat was rationed and gradually tea, jam, biscuits, cereals, cheese, eggs, milk and canned fruit were rationed also along with petrol, coal, soap and clothing as well as other items including paper.
Though there were additional allowances for pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and vegetarians, the introduction of rationing led to higher prices, wholesale queuing and the development of a widespread black market. Restaurants were exempt, although strict price controls were implemented which largely had the effect of limiting any potential excesses.
Britain’s favourite dish, fish and chips, was not on ration though the price of fish rose considerably as the war progressed. The government allowed this as fishermen had to be paid extra if they were to be encouraged to put to sea while enemy submarines were about.
Due to the need to help feed people around Europe, bread was rationed in 1946 and potatoes the following year through to 1948. Though the rationing of flour was lifted in 1948, clothes in 1949 and then petrol and many other things in 1950, the rationing of bacon and meats, the last to go, was not lifted until July 1954.
It was the removal of sugar and sweet rationing today in 1953 that may have had the most impact since people needn’t then worry about having it in their drinks or housewives rationing it in their cooking. Certainly, I as a lad of nine remember being able to go to the sweet shop and have the entire contents at my disposal.
Being able to go into a sweetshop and look at all those jars full of different types of sweets, many not available now, and being able to buy a couple of ounces of this and two more of that .. aah, those were the days!
.
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