Mural at the Benedict Road British Restaurant, Mitcham
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| Area | Mitcham |
|---|---|
| Picture Reference | Mit_War_3-11 |
| Original Format | Photo |
| Notes / History | The Ministry of Food encouraged the decoration of British Restaurants with patriotic murals. In this instance the mural promotes the "Dig for Victory" campaign. In the middle of 1940 the Ministry of Food decreed that communal kitchens be set up in London to feed people who had been bombed out and therefore had no cooking facilities and also to accommodate people working in companies that had no canteens. The idea spread throughout the country but was embraced more enthusiastically in London than in other places. The British Restaurants, originally called ‘Community Feeding Centres’, were run on a non-profit basis by the local authority or voluntary agencies. They were set up to combat the restrictions of rationing by providing basic meals at reasonable prices. A full three-course meal could be purchased at the British Restaurant without using up valuable ration coupons. A typical meal would be soup, a main course and a hot pudding. It would cost 4d for a child portion and between 6d to 9d for an adult. |
