Sugar for Jam Making

Advertisement for Chivers’ jam and jellies c.1907 [X704/198]

Monday 25th March 1918: The Local Food Office in Linslade, which also covers the Eaton Bray and Wing areas, has received details of a scheme under which sugar for jam will be distributed to fruit growers. Applications for sugar must be made by the growers themselves, and two separate permits will be issued: one for soft fruit available between the 8th June and 31st July, and the other for hard fruit available between 1st August and 30th September. Rhubarb will be included among soft fruits, and vegetable marrows with the hard fruits. The total amount of sugar for making jam for home consumption will not exceed ten pounds for each member of the household. Anyone expecting to have quantities of fruit which would enable them to use more sugar than this will be expected to place jam at the disposal of the Local Food Committee at wholesale prices.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 26th March 1918

Restrictions on Canteens at Bedford

Soldiers at Bunyan Canteen, Bedford, 1914-18 [Z1306/12/11/4]

Wednesday 13th February 1918: Following a meeting called by the Mayor of Bedford, canteens serving soldiers in the town have been asked to restrict the amount of meat and margarine that they use. Canteen managers have now submitted returns showing that in one week soldiers consumed 160 lbs of margarine, 3500 lbs of bread, 183 gallons 3 quarts of milk, and 225 tins of condensed milk – all in addition to their normal rations. A proposition that a letter should be sent to the Army authorities by the Bedford Food Control Committee expressing alarm at the amount of bread and milk being consumed by soldiers was carried. There was also concern that soldiers were using restaurants in the town. This was considered unfair when they were already receiving more rations than civilians and it was suggested that restaurants should be put out of bounds. Instructions had been received by the Food Control Committee that sugar certificates were to be withdrawn from caterers and canteen, with stock to be held by the committee. Tea was also of concern, but supplies were coming in very gradually.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 8th and 15th February 1918

More Food Supply Difficulties

The London Central Meat Company, North Street, Leighton Buzzard c.1910 [Z1306/72/12/11]

Tuesday 29th January 1918: Obtaining supplies of basic foods continues to be an issue in Leighton Buzzard and Linslade. Only about a dozen cattle and eight sheep were sent to Leighton Market last Tuesday, which were nowhere near enough to meet demand from local butchers. Most had sold out by Friday evening, and those customers who usually buy joints on Saturday night were left without meat for Sunday’s dinner. Butchers have been forced to accept sheep allocated to them even when the animals were in such poor condition that the meat was sold at a loss – one complained he had been allotted a sheep which was “giddy, heavy in lamb and had a bad liver”, which had caused him to suffer a net loss of nearly six shillings after butchering and delivery. It seems meatless days are now becoming compulsory, not voluntary. A Hockliffe butcher was told by one of his customers: “Meatless days! We have five every week; don’t talk about them.”

The margarine and butter “famine” is still acute, and last week many households were unable to obtain any supplies. The Leighton Buzzard Food Control Committee rationing scheme comes into force this week, but it cannot guarantee supplies to those with coupons, although it should make the distribution of what is available fairer. The Food Control Committee for Linslade and the Eaton Bray and Wing rural districts was fortunate last week in obtaining a two ounce butter ration for every resident, which was delivered through local grocers on Friday and Saturday. It hopes that this distribution will be repeated in future.

The collapse of the milk delivery strike which began nearly two months ago has given some relief to the people of Leighton. The novelty of fetching the morning milk soon wore off, and “mistresses who had to make daily journeys to the milk shop because their servants refused to go have been heard to threaten never to have the same milkman again”. One of the “strikers” said they had agreed to resume deliveries because the position had become impossible, though they complained of the injustice of the Leighton Food Committee who had bowed to the demands of butchers but would not meet with the milk dealers. Although the strike has ended problems remain. Milk supplies are still inadequate to meet demand, and in Linslade there are complaints from customers paying 7d a quart for their milk deliveries who are aggrieved that they are having to pay more than customers of the same retailers who happen to live in Leighton.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 29th January 1918

Butter and Margarine to be Rationed

North Street, Leighton Buzzard c.1900, Leighton Institute on the right [Z1432/2/1/28/43]

Tuesday 22nd January 1918: The following notice has been published today by the Leighton Buzzard Food Control Committee:

BUTTER AND MARGARINE COUPON SCHEME 

In order to avoid QUEUES and the undue and unequal purchase of BUTTER AND MARGARINE the Leighton Buzzard Food Committee have prepared a COUPON SCHEME, which will come into force on 28th January 1918, and under which no person will be able to obtain more than one supply (based on the number in the household) in any week. A RETAILER WILL NOT SUPPLY ANY PERSON WHO DOES NOT PRODUCE AN OFFICIAL COUPON. 

Coupons will be issued at the INSTITUTE, NORTH STREET, between 9.30 and 12.30, 1.30 and 4.30 and 5 to 8 p.m. from MONDAY 21st JANUARY, until STAURDAY 26th JANUARY 1918. 

The SUGAR TICKETS (not Cards) FOR THE HOUSEHOLD MUST BE PRODUCED AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION. 

The Coupon must be presented to any Retailer, who will supply the applicant if he has the material in stock. There is, however, no guarantee that the holder of a Coupon will obtain a supply, but the available stocks will be distributed as equally as possible.

 Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 22nd January 1918

Food Shortages

Willard’s grocer’s shop, 47 High Street, Leighton Buzzard c.1920 [Z1432/2/1/19/134]

Thursday 13th December 1917: The Divisional Food Commissioner has asked the editor of the Leighton Buzzard Observer to publish the following letter:

Sir – I wish to appeal very urgently to all to whom butter, margarine and tea are not necessities to refrain from using them during the present scarcity, which it is hoped will be overcome shortly. I particularly address this appeal to the larger households and to the servants in those houses especially in the country. I do not think it is realised how the shortage affects the women and workers in the towns who, after a hard day’s work, often have to spend their spare time in obtaining very insufficient quantities of those commodities, and sometimes have to wait in queues for hours at a time only to be disappointed in the end.

It is hoped that some scheme of better distribution and a fair equalisation of supply to each consumer will be evolved shortly, and in the meantime I appeal to everyone in the country to use as little milk and butter as possible, and so release more of these two commodities for the towns. Every pint of milk and every pound of butter released from the country districts is of invaluable help in the towns.

 Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer 18th December 1917

Bread, Meat and Sugar

Yirrell’s butcher’s shop, Old Road, Linslade c.1900 [Z50/74/15]

Friday 21st September 1917: The Emergency Committee of the Linslade Urban and Wing and Eaton Bray Rural Joint Food Control Committee has been dealing with issues regarding the implementation of the Bread Order which came into force on Monday. This required all bakers’ stocks to be recorded on the previous Saturday evening – no simple task when there were twenty villages in addition to the town of Linslade to cover. With the introduction of the Order the price of flour dropped from about 60 shillings to 44 shillings and three pence, and bakers were to be compensated for all stock in hand which had been purchased at the higher price. All stocks were to be inspected, with invoices proving the price paid to be presented to the inspector. At last week’s meeting of the Committee it was decided that the sub-committees recently appointed for each village should be given responsibility for the task, and a single Linslade committee member should carry out the inspection in the town. At today’s committee meeting it was reported that the matter had been dealt with satisfactorily. Only one Linslade baker required adjustment as all the others had cleared out their stocks by Saturday evening. The village sub-committees had not yet made their returns due to a delay in sending out forms

The Committee also considered butchers’ scales of charges. The Committee was informed that only five had sent in lists of their meat prices. Offenders were to be sharply reminded of their obligations and warned that failure to meet them was punishable by a £100 fine and imprisonment. Butchers were now also required to exhibit their prices but in a number of cases this was not being done. The position of itinerant butchers under the regulations was questioned, and the committee Chairman advised that they were required to display prices in the same way as any other butcher, with their cart being treated as a shop for this purpose. Notices have been sent out asking those butchers who have not already done so to display their price list as ordered by the Food Controller. There was concern that as butchers were allowed to make £10 on each bullock price manipulation was taking place. Butchers with a high-class trade reduced the price of poor cuts which they did not sell and increased the price of better joints, while those who traded mostly in cheap cuts lowered the official prices for the more expensive parts and charged more for the rest.

The committee was given a long list of applications for registration as retailers of sugar, with all but one approved. There was some surprise at the number of sugar retailers, with the village of Wing having as many as eleven certified as having sold sugar during the year 1915 – it is thought that some only ever sold sugar in the form of sweets! The Linslade applicant whose claim was disputed explained in a letter that his business was opened in July 1916 and dealt mainly with boat people who were concerned about their future supply of sugar. It was recommended that the application should be refused as there were two other shops near the canal where supplies could be obtained.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer 18th and 25th September 1917

A Sugar Rush at Bedford

Sugar queue at Bedford [Bedfordshire Standard 14/7/1917] 

Thursday 6th September 1917: Yesterday morning a rumour spread that a grocer in Bedford’s High Street had a quantity of sugar for sale. The shop was soon besieged by would-be purchasers and a lengthy queue formed. By 11 a.m. the shopkeeper was obliged to close the door, but the crowd around the shop continued to grow. Some left during the dinner hour, but by 2 p.m. the number of sugar hunters was larger than ever. Those who had managed to secure a prime spot in the doorway were “most inconveniently crowded” and P.C. Smith had difficulty keeping the crowd in check. The pressure from behind eventually caused a large side window to be smashed. The crowd remained until 3.30 p.m. when an announcement was made that no more sugar was available, after which the waiting shoppers dispersed quickly and quietly.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 7th and 14th September 1917

Sugar Rationing to be Introduced

Ministry of Food Poster: Breaches of the Rationing Order, 1918 [Source: Wikimedia]

Wednesday 29th August 1917: Arrangements are being put in place for sugar rationing, which is to come into effect in October. Application forms for sugar registration cards are to be distributed to all households before September 30th. These will require information to be supplied for each member of the household. Local Food Offices will then issue sugar registration cards on which the householder will fill in the name and address of the registered retailer from whom he wishes to buy supplies of sugar. The card must then be handed to the retailer, who will keep the upper part of the card, and will sign and return the lower part to the householder.

The redistribution of sugar supplies will not be completed until the end of the year, so during the interim period some retailers may not have sufficient supplies for all their registered customers. Efforts will be made to make local adjustments in order to meet any cases of hardship. Catering establishments such as inns, hotels, restaurants, canteens and coffee stalls will have to make a return every four weeks to the Local Food Office showing the amount of sugar received and used, and the number of meals served.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 28th August 1917

Communal Kitchens for Bedford

Girls and teachers at the Bromham Road and Horne Lane Schools (Bedfordshire Standard)

Tuesday 8^th May 1917: A new catering scheme is inaugurated, introducing communal kitchens at cookery centres in elementary schools. 50 children were present at the Horne Lane Centre and 37 at Bromham Road. The scheme is funded by the Borough Education Committee and local tradesmen have agreed to supply goods at wholesale prices. The kitchens aim to improve mothers’ understanding of rationing, so that nourishing food can be provided at low cost. The centres will provide meals 5 days a week, with cooking and serving done by the girls as part of their school day. Meals will be simple to prepare, costing 4d per head for a dinner and a pudding. There are to be two meatless days and flour and sugar will be kept to a minimum. Where possible, rice will take the place of potatoes. Here is a sample menu for the week:

Monday – Scotch broth & maize meal pudding

Tuesday – Irish stew & beans, with rice mould pudding

Wednesday – Lentil soup with oatmeal dumplings, & rice pudding

Thursday – Sea pie & stewed fruit

Friday – Vegetable hot pot & date custard

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 11/5/1917