A Shilling a Day on Food

Found--a cutting of an interesting article from the mid 1920s by Walter M. Gallichan, journalist, novelist and writer on health, sex education and fishing. Undated but probably from the Daily Mail (mention of Woodman Burbidge on the rear of the press-cutting puts in the 1920s when he was chairman of Harrods.) The purchasing power of a shilling (5p) then is about £2.50 now, still a fairly low sum for a day's food.

A Shilling's worth. Full day's Food - by Walter M. Gallichan.

A shilling spent with discrimination will purchase a substantial and savoury meal of non rationed foods. The foods that offer the highest nutritive and force-giving value are still fairly cheap. A shilling may be wasted upon food of an expensive kind containing only a minimum of nutriment. For example, a shilling's worth of jelly may be purchased under the delusion that gelatine is an excellent food, possessing considerable nutritive value. As a matter of fact, the calf's foot jelly commerce and the packet 'jelly squares', thought easily digested and pleasant to the palate, are practically worthless for repairing the waste of the body and giving energy.

A shilling's worth of cheese contains far more nourishment than a piece of beef at the same price.

Vegetarian Instructions

From the Vegetarian Handbook (London 1970). The last 8 pages consist of instructions to show to your hosts in hotels and restaurants so that they understand your diet requirements. The style of non meat food is possibly now slightly dated (nut rissoles, vol-au-vents) and even a little joyless, but the leaflet makes pretty sure that the food provider gets the picture. Serious Veggies could well use it, or modify it...We have added the Spanish version and tried to OCR (read digitally) the Esperanto - but it scrambled.

VEGETARIAN FOOD HINTS
FOR CONTINENTAL HOTELS

The following pages, in seven different languages, may be useful to visitors in hotels that do not normally cater for vegetarians. Translation has been kept as literal as possible so that the various items can easily be identified.

ENGLISH

  Lunches and dinners, consisting exclusively of produce of the vegetable kingdom, with or without the addition of dairy produce.

1. SOUPS and sauces made with vegetable (not meat) stock. Vegetable soups of all kinds.

2. ENTRÉES, such as:
  Souffles, various; cauliflower au gratin; spaghetti or macaroni, with tomato or cheese; vols-au-vent, with vegetable filling.
  Rissoles made with nuts or other vegetable ingredients.
  Omelettes and other egg dishes, various.

With these dishes, vegetables such as:
    Potatoes, peas, green vegetables, carrots, beans. (If fried, vegetable oil or butter should be used.)
  For making rissoles, use lentils, beans, chestnuts, or other nuts (such as almonds, etc.). The nuts should be well ground.

3. SALADS, such as:
    Green, mixed, Russian (without anchovy); hors d'œuvre, with lemon and olive-oil (or mayonnaise).

4. PUDDINGS, etc. (made always without animal fat, except butter or cream), such as:
    Baked, boiled or steamed puddings; pastries, cakes, ices, cômpotes of all kinds; rice and other cereals, with jam or honey.

5. FRUITS (either fresh or stewed).


SPECIAL NOTE. Never serve meat, fish, fowl, or jelly. Do not over-season any of the dishes. Serve only vegetable gravies. Use no animal fats, except butter and cream.

SPANISH

  Almuerzos y comidas, consistiendo exclusivamente de productos del reino vegetal con o sin la adición de productos de lecheria.

1. SOPAS y salsas hechas con ingredientes vegetales (sin came). Sopas vegetales