FACTSHEETS
FOOD RATIONING TIMELINE
(Quantities shown are per person per week)
29th September 1939
National Register set up and Identity Cards issued.
8 January 1940
Food rationing begins. Bacon (4oz), sugar (12oz) and butter (4oz) now allowed a week for each person.
March 1940
1s 10d worth of meat allowed per person a week (9p today). Sausages were not rationed but difficult to get; offal (liver, kidneys and tripe) was originally un-rationed but sometimes formed part of the meat ration.
July 1940
Tea 2oz 1s 10d (9p). Butter, margarine, cooking fats and cheese rationed. Sugar cut to 8 oz 1s 10d (9p). The Government announced no more fresh or tinned fruit to be imported except oranges for children only.
March 1941
Jam, marmalade, treacle and syrup rationed. 8 oz per person per week.
May 1941
Cheese ration increased to 2 oz per person per week.
June 1941
Eggs: 1 fresh egg a week if available but often only one every two weeks. Meat ration cut to 1s 6d (7.5p) per person per week then to 1s 2d (6p). By June 1941 it was down to 1s (5p).
July 1941
Sugar ration doubled to encourage people to make their own jam during the fruit season.
August 1941
Extra cheese ration for manual workers introduced.
December 1941
Points scheme for food introduced. National dried milk introduced. Milk went on ration: 3 pints per person per week (1.8l) occasionally dropping to 2 pints (1.2l). This amount also varied for young children, expectant mothers and invalids who were allowed 7 pints of milk per week. Expectant mothers and children were also allowed up to 18 eggs per month. Children were allowed orange and rosehip syrup as well as cod liver oil. Household milk (skimmed or dried) was available: 1 packet per four weeks. Points scheme for food introduced. Vitamin Welfare Scheme introduced.
January 1942
Rice and dried fruit added to points system. Tea ration for under fives was withdrawn. Sweets: 2 oz per person per week.
February 1942
Canned tomatoes and peas. Soap rationed (1 small tablet per month).
April 1942
Breakfast cereals and condensed milk added to points system.
June 1942
American dried egg powder on sale. 1s 9d (9p) per packet (equivalent to 12 eggs). Whole meal loaf ("The National Loaf") introduced (far more wheat used which meant less wastage. Sausages contained less and less real pork or beef. Horsemeat commonly available (in 1945, whale meat was also available).
July 1942
Sweets and chocolate 2 oz per person per week.
August 1942
Biscuits added to points system. Cheese ration was increased to 8 oz per person per week.
December 1942
Oat flakes added to points system.
December 1944
Extra tea allowance for 70 year olds and over introduced.
July 1946
Bread rationed
DATES ITEMS CAME OFF THE RATION LIST
July 1948 Bread
December 1948 Jam
May 1950 Points rationing ended
October 1952 Tea
February 1953 Sweets
March 1953 Eggs
April 1953 Cream
September 1953 Sugar
May 1954 Butter, cheese, margarine and cooking fats
June 1954 Meat and bacon
