What USED to be in shops?

Kadeeae

In somewhat the same vein as the post History of Food In England . . .

WWII era and possibly slightly prior - does anyone know how/where I can find out what the average shop stocked?

I'm just very curious and am always straining to see what's on the shelves when I see photos from this period. It seems as if almost anything is documented online and was hoping someone had run across this sort of thing.

*Yoooohoooo* Thriftlady??


I'm off for tonight but will check back tomorrow . ... .

moanymoany

I remember what was in the shops in the 50's and I don't think it was much different before the war.

Most things were bought by the weight. Dried fruit, sugar, rice etc was put into dark blue sugar bags. Butter came in barrels and was cut off and 'patted' onto shapes. Tea was bought in quarter pound packs - loose tea.

There was a counter and always several assistants who got you what you wanted. There was little or no browsing, money was tight and people went in with a list.

I think food was more expensive in relation to income - as were most things. The reason most people turn their noses up at offal and cheap food is because they can afford more expensive cuts of meat. Who remembers the dreadful 'processed' cheese?

Gingernutmeg

Slightly off topic, but I've got a six volume set of 'The Modern Baker, Confectioner and Caterer' from (I think) pre WWI - they've got beautiful Art Nouveau designs on the covers, and as well as being full of old baker's recipes (massive quantities with all of the measures in gills etc) they've got gorgeous old photos in them of old bakeries and patisseries - shops full of lovely gilded wooden and glass cases full of petit fours, and lots of little marble-topped tables where you could take tea. It's such a shame we don't get shops like that anymore, it puts Greggs to shame lol. They're a fascinating read too, in terms of health and safety and business practice.

*Sigh ...* anyway, back on topic, I think there's a book that gives the history of most of the famous brands, I'm sure I've seen it in my local library. That might give you a clue?

ceridwen

I can see where you are coming from on this one. I frequently think (whilst buying what little food I do buy in supermarkets) "I remember when one went into shops with a list and things were weighed out and packaged out in exactly the quantities required and then delivered by the boy on his bike" - and then have to remind myself that I couldnt possibly have such memories - as things have never been like that for me.

But I can dream cant I?:D

-and yes, I do clearly remember in fact, that processed cheese - yuk!

exlibris

A man called Opie used to run a museum of advertising in Gloucester (I think it is closed now). This museum produced books on the contents of the Opie collection.

Just done a quick Google - he was called Robert Opie

thriftlady_2

Kadeeae wrote: »

*Yoooohoooo* Thriftlady??

:wave: I'm here

Very interesting question. I have a book called Food Glorious Food -Eating and Drinking with Good Housekeeping 1922-1942. It is full of articles and adverts from the magazine during those years. The thing that stands out is the amount of adverts for manufactured foods.

There are adverts for; toffees, cocoa, sponge cake mixture, loads of breakfast cereals (there's a whole article devoted to them in 1932 including Shredded Wheat, Cornflakes and All Bran), fish and meat pastes, tinned veg, blancmange mix, gravy browning, suet, marmalade, bovril, Hp sauce, Heinz ketchup and lots of other table sauces, Spry cooking oil, cheese spread, macaroni, biscuits, butter, Australian sultanas, Schweppes lemon squash, ovaltine, horlicks and other hot drinks like Postum, Tate and Lyle sugar and golden syrup, jelly tablets, Oxo cubes, marmite, tinned soup......

beemuzed

Well I do remember going into shops with counters where you asked assistants for exactly what you wanted! Before we were married (1970) DH lived in Gerrards Cross and they had a branch of Sainsburys like this! Even a chair by each counter where you could rest while waiting to be served. Those were the days!

thriftlady_2

beemuzed wrote: »

Well I do remember going into shops with counters where you asked assistants for exactly what you wanted! Before we were married (1970) DH lived in Gerrards Cross and they had a branch of Sainsburys like this! Even a chair by each counter where you could rest while waiting to be served. Those were the days!

My mum is always telling me about a shop just like that, I vaguely remember it too. Don't you think that style of shopping would prevent impulse buying and thoughtlessly filling your trolley with anything you fancied ?

moanymoany

I remember going into a branch of Sainsbury's in 1969 - it had counters and assistants.

I have to say I much prefer being able to pick and choose what I want where fruit and veg and meat is concerned. I loathed the snooty assistants who picked the stuff for you - making sure their rubbish went into the customer's bags. It was a brave customer who took that lot on. :rolleyes:

My mil had a little red book where she wrote her list, as she lived in the country and the grocer came in a van once a week. He took the next weeks order when he delivered.

I've seen the book and the list was very short for two adults and a child! People didn't have the money to buy lots of stuff. My in laws were saving for their first house. This was in the late 40's early 50's. To save money they lived in a house whose only luxury was tap water - no gas, no electricity and no plumbing. The lav was a shed in the garden where dh was not 'allowed' to go! They lived here for five years while they saved their deposit.

jinny

Wonderloaf Bread, Johnsons polish, loose butter and cheese, coop milk tokens, 99 tea in a packet, uncut loaves that were wrapped in tissue paper, 1/2 pound of biscuits put into a brown paper bag, Smedleys cheese flaps, they were like raviolli without the meat, and meat hanging up in the butchers shop with sawdust on the floor. A chair in the corner gossip shop ours had a big bacon slicer that I was terrified of. Will think of more later.

denise_h_2

I am only in my 50's but I remember as a child going to Woolworths and my mum buying broken biscuits (I came from a fair sized family and money was tight). The biscuits were all sold loose, and the broken ends were gathered together and sold off cheaper