A History of Food Production and Consumption
The way food has been consumed and produced in the UK has seen massive change in the decades since the end of World War II in 1945. The flexibility and choice we have today is far removed from the years after 1940 when rationing was introduced to help the war effort.
Once rationing ended in 1954, it paved the way for a food and restaurant revolution driven by increased standards of living and technology. ‘Eating out’ has grown to become a leading leisure activity as people enjoyed rising levels of disposable income over the decades that followed the 1950s.
Advancements in technology, meanwhile, contributed to the manufacture of kitchen equipment such as fridges, freezers and microwave ovens to make the way we prepare food quicker, easier and more convenient. Globalisation, too, along with immigration, has also played a part in changing tastes and an increased choice that has helped to transform hospitality into an industry that now contributes around £55bn to the UK economy each year.
A history of food production and consumption
Here we look at how food production and consumption has changed and advanced through the decades since the end of World War II. The influence of technology, migration, business and economics has seen a radical change to our eating habits over the last 70 years.
This is a timeline of how it happened.
1940s
The way food was distributed and consumed was dominated by the government in a bid to ensure a nutrionally adequate diet was available to all during war time.
Rationing was introduced to make sure everyone received a fair share of the limited food that was available. As a result, the general population consumed less meat, fat, eggs and sugar.
Thirty per cent of UK household energy intake in 1945 came from bread and flour. Household purchases of bread have been on a downward trend in recent decades. The figure dropped to around 11% by 2015.
1950s
Recognised as the most austere decade for dining in the last 70 years. Wartime rationing was still in place until 1954 and people would rarely eat outside of the household.
1953 – Chickens are commercial reared for human consumption for the first time. It is now the most popularly consumed meat in the UK.
1955 – Bird’s Eye bring the fish finger to market with the help of blast freezing. It is the first indication of how technology would go on to revolutionise food production and consumption habits.
1959 – Further evidence that technology was to play an increasing role in food prep. The Kenwood Chef arrived to a commercial market.
The total of household income spent on food was 40%. That figure had dropped to 10.7% by 2016.
1960s
Technology combined with a rise in standard of living and the earliest signs of globalisation served to breathe new life into the way Britons produced and consumed food.
Eating out was still considered a luxury for many at the start of the 60s, but by the end of the decade, small independent bistros were popping up all over the country.
Britain got its first taste of spaghetti Bolognese as immigration changed culinary trends. The growth of Indian, Pakistani and Chinese communities offered further diversity to British menus and palates.
107 motorway service stations evolved from the introduction of the American roadside diner model to capitalise on increased car ownership throughout the 60s.
The arrival of cheaper aeroplane travel meant Britons were going abroad for the first time and bringing the exotic tastes of Europe back with them.
33% per cent of households owned a fridge in 1962 and use would quickly become more widespread. The use of chilled storage made for greater convenience in food prep and production processes.
1970s
Kitchen technology continues to gather pace to make food production more convenient. Recreating the restaurant setting at home spawns the advent of the dinner party.
Prawn cocktail was the undisputed champion starter of the decade as classic English restaurants with their high Tudor-style false beams became all the rage. Berni Inn already had 170 outlets by 1970, while Beefeater and Brewers Fayre soon followed.
Kitchen machinery continued to evolve as the freezer and the microwave oven joined the fridge to make life easier.
1291 McDonalds restaurants have opened in the UK since the first was unveiled in 1974 to pave the way for a fast-food revolution.
Food prices rose 26% in 1975 due to a global oil crisis.
1977 – the general population had already been getting a taste for processed food packed with sugar, salt and preservatives before Pot Noodle arrived to meet an increased demand for convenience foods.
1980s
The fast-paced nature of industry manifested itself in an increased demand for convenience food, while eating out was dominated by fast-food or ‘Nouvelle Cuisine’.
The value of the pre-packaged sandwich industry – 30 years on from the first sightings on supermarket shelves in 1980 – is £6,000,000,000.
1983 – Andrew Nisbet starts business selling knives, clothing and textbooks to catering students. Strong growth in the 34 years since reflects a continued commitment to serving the needs of our customers.
Takeaways were starting to become a regular family treat when Pizza Hut launched their first UK outlet in 1982. The UK takeaway industry is now estimated to be worth a cool £4.5 billion.
‘Nouvelle Cuisine’ arrived from France to set a new trend in fine dining. Tiny portions and artistic presentation took centre stage as chefs focused on producing food with natural textures and flavours.
1990s
Two decades of excess creates an opening for a healthy eating industry. Coffee and wine are massive growth sectors and the gastropub becomes king.
1990 – British beef is linked with mad cow disease. Agriculture minister John Gummer feeds daughter a burger in front of camera in a bid to increase public confidence in the product.
Coffee shops grew 84% in the UK between 1993 and 1997. Britons’ experience of coffee up until that point had mainly been in the form of jars of freeze dried granules. Major chains started to appear on the high street to make freshly-made coffee easily accessible. Over 70 million cups of coffee are now consumed in the UK per day.
Research from America suggests demand for convenience food is still rising. The FDA found that meal preparation time is one-third quicker during the 1990s than it was a decade earlier.
2000s
It’s the turn of the century and consumer choice has never been greater. International flavours are now fully entrenched in British supermarket and restaurant culture.
2001 – Britain’s ability to absorb and adopt to the arrival of international flavours is finally confirmed when chicken tikka masala is named national restaurant dish of the year.
Five portions of fruit and vegetables per day is recommended by the government in 2003. Restaurants are starting to think about offering healthier menus.
87,500,000,000 – Britons spend more on eating out than they do on food for home cooking (£85.8bn) for the first time in 2004. Londoners eat out twice per week on average.
Organic food sales drop 13% due to the credit crunch in 2008. Organic food had been a sector on the up every year since 1993 as Britons became more health conscious and interested in how and where their food was produced.
2010s
Eating out is by now a fully endorsed leisure activity. The hospitality industry is ranked as the fourth largest in the UK by the midway point of the decade.
Fresh and Local – Ethics starts to play an increasing role in consumer food choices. There has been a growing trend towards food ‘with a story’. Food that has travelled fewer air miles becomes important to consumers who want to help reduce carbon footprint.
2016 – The British electorate votes to leave the European Union. The impact this landmark decision will have on all facets of the food and hospitality industries is as yet unknown. The price of food and possible changes in where it is sourced are due to be hot topics for discussion before Brexit is set to be finalised in 2019.