The Public Meals Order

From the Yorkshire Evening Post, 23rd January 1918.

DRASTIC CUTTING DOWN IN PUBLIC MEALS.

TWO MEATLESS DAYS.

GUESTS MUST BRING THEIR OWN SUGAR.

The new Public Meals Order—which comes into force on Feb. 3 except as to meatless days, which begin on Friday [25th January]—introduces a number of important modifications regarding meals in hotels, restaurants, clubs, boarding-houses, and all other eating-places.  Its chief features are:—

Two meatless days a week, and meat meals restricted to 3oz. uncooked.
Meatless and sugarless breakfasts every day, and sugarless teas.
No milk for adults, save with tea, coffee, or cocoa.
Five-eighths of an ounce of margarine a day.
Guests to bring their own sugar; residents allowed up to 6oz. a week.
Tea before 5.30 p.m. not to include more than 1¼oz. of all foods in which flour is used. 

...The meatless days ... are to be Tuesdays and Fridays in the Metropolitan Police district, Wednesday and Fridays in the provinces.  Poultry and game rank as meat.

Meatless breakfasts are ordained by the prohibition of the serving or eating of meat, poultry, or game between 6 a.m. and 10.30 a.m.  Children under ten are exempted from the no-milk stipulation.  The sugar allowance (1 oz. a day but not more than 6oz. in a week) is for sweetening purposes.  It is limited to residents for "the major portion" of a week and not rationed for sugar; others described as "guests" must carry their own sugar.

Breakfast, it is pointed out, is going to be a difficult meal in the business type of hotel.  Apparently no milk may be served with porridge, and the bacon course is forbidden.  Commercial travellers as a class eat a hearty breakfast, make a light lunch, and take a substantial evening meal.  Now the breakfast must consist of fish, eggs, jam, and bread and butter, and the heavy meat-tea becomes impossible.

As to tea-shop teas, the Order says no person shall be served with or consume between 3 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. more than 1½oz. in all of broad. cake, bun, scone, and biscuit.  The present limit is 2oz. but the old Order does not contain the restriction against consuming, and the omission of which allows permits to buy a bag of pastries at the counter and then sit down in another part of the premises and eat them with an ordered tea.
....

MEATLESS MENUS IN LEEDS

A START AT SOME OF THE PUBLIC EATING-PLACES.

Although today was regarded by many as the first meatless day, the suggestion by the Leeds Food Control Committer) that it should be so observed has by no means met with general acceptance in the city.  Hotel and restaurant proprietors varied considerably in their attitude towards it.  Some loyally excluded meat of all kinds from their menu, and mainly substituted fish, vegetable stew, macaroni, cheese, and eggs.  Many, however, are reserving the first meatless day until it becomes compulsory on Friday, one reason advanced being that owing to the sudden change in the weather, the meat purchased for use tomorrow would not keep.
…
Meanwhile it is not without interest to notice what is being served to take the place of meat.  At the Leeds and County Conservative Club a meatless day is not being observed to-day, but will be on Friday, when the menu will be:—

SOUP. 

Consomme croute au pot.   Yellow Pea.  Cream of Lentil. 

FISH.

Fried Fillet of Plaice. Cod Steak. Fish Pie. 

Fried Halibut Steak. Boiled Halibut and Hollandaise Sauce. 

Boiled Salmon Steak. Cold Salmon. 

ENTREES. 

Macaroni au gratin.   Vermicelli a la Portugaise.  Curried Eggs and Rice. 

Poached Eggs on Toast.  Poached Eggs and Spinach.  Welsh Rarebits. 

VEGETABLES. 

Mashed and Jacket Potatoes.  Boiled Rice. Haricot Beans.  

Marrowfat Peas. Spring Cabbage. Turnip Tops.

SWEETS AND CHEESE.

….

At one of the restaurants in Leeds where a meatless day was observed, the following was the menu.—

SOUPS.

Green Pea.  Scotch Broth.   Chestnut. 

FISH.

Filleted Plaice and Parsley Sauce.   Steamed Cod and Caper Sauce.  Stuffed Haddock.

 ENTREES.

Vegetable Irish Stew.   Bean Pie.  

Cheese Dumplings.  Tomatoes and Turnips au gratin.  

Lentil Rissoles.  Savoury Rice. 

Vegetables, Puddings and Sweets. 

At another restaurant a compromise was effected by the elimination of beef and mutton and the introduction of poultry, grilled ham, and sausage. Several dishes of fish were served, along with savoury omelettes, eggs on toast, and haricot croquettes.

Many of the restaurant proprietors spoken to to-day on the subject of the meatless day expressed the opinion that it will be welcomed, as whilst lately they have been unable to secure normal supplies, the general public seem unable to realise the fact, and are dissatisfied if they cannot procure as much as usual.

For the same reason the majority of them regard the new Sugar Order with favour.  This order only permits of sugar to be used for cooking purposes.  "Lately we have had the greatest difficulty, " said one manager, "in getting supplies of sugar, and many people have been anything but satisfied when they have not been provided with the quantity allotted to them.  I am glad they will now have to provide it themselves, as it will mean that we should have quite a hundredweight [50.8 kg.] per week less to purchase."

One manager expressed considerable doubt whether it will in future be possible to continue the supply of Yorkshire pudding.  In the opinion of some proprietors, it will not be legal to supply a customer with Yorkshire pudding and then boiled pudding or tart at the close of the meal, as by so doing the limit will be exceeded.