An Eggless Christmas

The Ministry of Food was founded to help people survive rationing and to bolster morale, which became particularly important at Christmas.

December 1945
Detail from the Ministry of Food’s ‘Christmas Recipes’, December 1945. LSHTM Library & Archives Service.

Before the Second World War, 70 per cent of Britain’s food was imported, including 50 per cent of meat, 91 per cent of butter and 70 per cent of cheese and sugar. Wartime naval blockades meant supplies quickly grew scarce. Food became rationed in January 1940 and remained so until 1954. During this time, the British government was forced to look for new food sources, as well as trying to educate people on how to be more economical with what they had. To help the nation through this period of crisis, the government established the Ministry of Food.

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