Our “Living on WW2 Rations Experiment” group is just amazing. Not only the sharing of what we are eating but some really valuable resources! Thank you to Claire Dolman who shared this resource in the group yesterday. I had to immediately share this on here as I know we all struggle with points!
This 40 page booklet “Rationing in the United Kingdom” by the Ministry of Food takes you through EVERYTHING about the rationing and points system during WW2 in the UK and shortly afterwards. It also is a great resource historically as it lists how rationing amounts and points changed for certain foods throughout the years of the war.
It’s worth noting that although the points list is extensive that a lot of items were very scarce and not always available.
Download the complete booklet HERE!
C xxxx
Thank you for posting this! It looks very interesting.
I might be a bit slow on the uptake, but to check, does this mean that (for instance) that baked beans in tomato sauce required 1 to 4 points from December 1941 until December 1944? Dec. 1944 is listed as 10-3, so… they ranged from 10 to 3 points until the next listing of April 1945? Please help if possible, but still, thank you!
No I think 10-3 means Dec 10th = 3 points
Sorry for the double comment – I don’t seem to be able to edit. On second reading, does this indicate that on December 1st, 1941, beans baked in tomato sauce required 4 points, and on December 10th, 1944, they cost 3 points (i.e., the first number listed being the date in the month, and the second number being the point values)? It would make a bit more sense.
Hi Maria, sorry for the delay but am on my tea break now xxxx So the way I am reading it is like a timeline of dates and points for a particular food stuff. So for instance in 1941 from December 1st cans of beans were at 4 points, but in 1944 on December 10th they went down to 3 points but in 1945 on April 29 they went back up to 4 points again.
1941: Dec 1-4 then 1944: Dec 10-3 then 1945: April 29-4
Thanks xxx
Oh this is interesting, I have always wondered about tinned tomatoes ( I am a bit odd) and apparently they were quite ‘pointy’ and then removed from sale.
Oatcakes though! Oatcakes are doable, especially as I have found it impossible to buy a small, unsliced wholemeal loaf locally! I have walked miles, to no avail. Now I don’t live in a remote hamlet in the highlands of Scotland, I live in a town of 250,000 people less than 10 miles from Manchester, quite incredible.
Going back to the download it would be great to pick an actual date and live off the rations for that date, except tea of course!
Interesting that both semolina and cake flour were apparently supplied pre-sweetened — the sugar content would presumably account for the rationing.
I had no idea the concept of boxed cake mixes went back that far!