What British Foods were most popular in the 1950s?

Question

Any that would take less than an hour to make are preferred.

Answer 1

chips, chips and er...chips with everything, like lamb chops and peas, with fish, also roast chicken with roast potatoes was quite a treat in the fifties and very popular. mmm mouth watering now. For 'afters try steam pudding or treacle pudding and custard.

Answer 2

Look at this from a historical perspective. Up until 1952, British food was limited by rationing - so the only food available was the stuff that was available during the War - with a few exceptions coz peacetime allowed importation of various fruits and spices.

Think rabbit, pigeon, macaroni & cheese, vegetable hotpot, scotch broth, liver & onion, stews, etc... all of which required little time to prepare - but a long time to cook

When rationing finally ended, there was an enormous range of new foodstuffs on the shelves - just to tempt the shopper. If you look at the growth of advertising and particularly the history of ITV (advertising-based television from about 1952), you will get a better idea of what exotic foods were being sold to the British public at large.

With the death of rationing - the female cook was freed from the kitchen.

Suddenly, a much wider range of foods became available in unlimited quantities (err...legally and officially). This was fuelled by the immigration of a lot of Caribbeans, Indians and people returning from the colonial reaches the then British empire - they all brought their own recipes for their favourite food and shared their tastes with the British populace at large.

Think simple curries from the far east, the Carribbean and India, hamburgers from America, pasta from Italy...

My favourite is still macaroni cheese (none to beat it, yet) - coz my Granny used to make that and it was great comfort food after a cold day digging on my grandparents allotment.

Why don't you start a conversation with a pensioner entirely at random and ask them for their opinion - we all know it's good to talk...

Answer 3

Standard fare in the 1950s was roast or stewed meat and boiled vegetables. It's cheap and it's easy although if you want to be really authentic, overcook everything.

For something really exotic, go for macaroni cheese (not to be confused with the Italian dish penne al formaggio). Boil the pasta for about 15 minutes so it's good and soggy. Make a white sauce by thickening milk with flour (the lumpier the better) then add just a trace of cheddar cheese. Put the lot into an enamel dish and bake it in the oven for an hour.

If you think I'm exaggerating, just look at a 1950s recipe book!

Answer 4

A lot the same as today.. Mums generally had more time in those days as not nearly so many went to work. All meat, in roasts and stews, shepherds pies etc. Liver and offal were popular.. Sausages .. Toad in the hole... Poached fish , cod in parsley sauce, kippers, soused mackerel. Cold roast meat, beef or pork with bubble and squeak , boiled bacon and pease pudding, . There were not frozen foods in those days so most meals were made from fresh ingredients.. There were no ready meals, take aways were fish and chips.. The first Chinese restaurants were appearing but were not takeaway. No MacDonalds or Burger King or Pizzahut, I think the first Wimpy's were appearing. I was in my late teens / early twenties then and food and family dinners were better than now. The family sat down at the table and ate together,, Not like now with all eating at different times off a tray on the settee. -

Answer 5

Most people automatically felt foreign food was disgusting - except fairly rich people who ate in French restaurants. Spaghetti bolognese was pretty exotic! Trendies who bought Elisabeth David's books went on about it a lot. Read Nigel Slater's book "Toast" - his grandma burst into tears because they were making her eat something foreign! Breakfast hasn't altered much - there were more people doing hard physical work that meant they could have full English (just called a cooked breakfast then) every day and not get obese. Many people had meat and two veg followed by a sponge pudding or apple pie every day of the year. You have to remember the average wage was worth less than half what it is today. People rarely ate out unless it was a fish supper. My parents were both "white collar" workers - clerk and teacher but even we had to make the same piece of meat last Sunday (roast dinner), Monday (leftovers as me mum was doing the washing) and Tuesday (mince or mum's terrific meatballs). She bottled her own fruit to last the winter too.

Answer 6

Bearing in mind that we were still on war rations up to 1956 our Mum did us proud by filling us with food that we dare not touch today like........
Mix flour and suet together to make a doughy pastry use water ( or an egg) to bind the mixture. roll out into an oblong.
Lay rashers of streaky bacon all along the entire surface, now roll it up as tight as possible. Tie into a muslin cloth and boil until pastry cooked. Unwrap cut into slices make sure everyone gets at least two slices, serve up with rough mash potatoes and peas.
Ho Hum Happy Days.

Answer 7

Bacon Pudding, Stew, Toad-in-the-hole, Sunday Roasts, Rice Pudding, Spotted dick and custard, Treacle/jam pudding.

Answer 8

fruit grows on forest or vines and fruit and vegetables grow in the floor.

Answer 9

spam or corned beef fritters. Stew and dumplings, with fresh veg and mash. Suet puddings both savoury and sweet.

Answer 10

tinned ham, cold meats, mash potatoes, mushy peas, yorkshire puddings, spam and luncheon meat. Sausages, mince for cottage pies etc, liver, bacon, tongue, hearts, brains and oxtail. tripe and onions, lanb shoulders and my favourite pigs trotters.