United Kingdom

During the First and Second World Wars, the British government launched initiatives to ensure the entire population was well-fed. When the First World War restricted food imports and drove up prices, the government built on existing social initiatives, often set up by working-class women, which offered healthy meals at affordable prices. The government established “national kitchens,” places where people could get a bowl of soup, a piece of meat and vegetables, and pudding for dessert for a few pounds.

During the war, the Ministry of Food was established to ensure that these national kitchens were not reminiscent of the soup kitchens intended to feed the very poor. They were intended to be places where “ordinary people living ordinary lives” could gather at long tables to eat affordable, nutritious meals. Efforts were made to ensure that middle-class families dined alongside working-class families. Together, these national kitchens provided some 600,000 affordable meals a day, and this centralization ensured minimal food waste.

At the time, the Ministry of Food seemed to assume that these national kitchens would continue to exist after the war as a basic public service, but things turned out differently: towards the end of the war, much food was rationed and distributed to people on a one-to-one basis. Private restaurants were also unhappy with the competition. After the war, the government didn’t dare continue funding these national kitchens.

In the 1940s and 1950s, there were twice as many British Restaurants, the WWII equivalent of national kitchens, as there are now McDonald’s. At their peak, there were more than 2,000 of these government-funded restaurants, where people could enjoy a healthy and affordable meal every day. Founded under the leadership of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, they aimed to mitigate the effects of rising energy prices and inflation and to maintain morale.

The name British Restaurant was coined by Churchill himself. He didn’t agree with the name proposed by the Ministry of Food: Communal Feeding Centers. It evoked too much Dickens, poverty, and communist monotony. Instead, Churchill wanted the restaurants to become “centers of civilization.” For example, art hung on the walls, sometimes even from the royal family’s collection.

These two restaurants, offering affordable, good food, were run by local governments. If they met certain requirements, such as the quality and healthiness of the food, they received funding from the national government and could hire staff to run the restaurants. Dietitians were hired to create the menu, and their task was to encourage Britons to eat more vegetables. The food was consistently high-quality, and the British Restaurants were frequented by groups from all walks of life.

Once again, some people campaigned to maintain this provision after the war. Labour politicians, in particular, saw it as a good way to combat food inequality and ensure that everyone had access to affordable, good food. But once again, most restaurants closed after the war, although the last one didn’t close until 1970.

The call for a national public service like the national kitchen and British restaurants, has been revived and is gaining momentum. In various locations across the United Kingdom, community organizations have established basic food services. These services prepare healthy meals for sale at low prices, and offer a place where people gather to cook and eat. Some scientists and members of parliament have also joined the call for a new public basic food service.

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