Category: General

An army marches on its stomach, so the old saying goes – and this is why the Army Catering Corps played such an important role in the success of the British Army during World War 2. Making sure they never went hungry, the ACC was the key to keeping up the troops’ morale during the 1939-45 conflict.

The wartime subscription meant many members of the ACC were cooks in peacetime, so the professional chefs improved the training of the army caterers. The military catering corps was supported by the civilian organisation, the National Army and Air Force Institute – better known by its abbreviated name of the NAAFI.

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So successful was the ACC unit, that in October 1945, after the end of the war, it was decided the catering corps would be retained as part of the post-war army. Over the years, it has developed its structure and training programmes, becoming an independent corps in its own right in 1965.

 

Who fed the troops in years gone by?

The saying, “An army marches on its stomach,” was attributed to the great French military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, yet little had been recorded in the history books about catering for the armed forces prior to WW2.

Historians believe this is because cooking is seen as a trade and in the past, only the heroics of the frontline troops were documented. It was said that good food for the army was an exception, rather than the rule, in war zones of years gone by.

The quality and quantity of the soldiers’ food in the 19th century was largely determined by what it would cost the taxpayer and what the long-suffering troops would be prepared to accept without falling ill or making serious complaints. As soldiers’ welfare became more important in modern times, as did the need to feed them nutritious meals.

 

How did the Army Catering Corps begin?

The origins of the ACC date from late 1936, when tensions were rising in Europe. The British government needed to increase the size of the armed forces. By 1938, the war against Nazi Germany was on the horizon, due to the rise in support for the Führer and dictator, Adolf Hitler.

With war clouds gathering, Britain’s Secretary of State for War, Leslie Hore-Belisha, realised a complete overhaul of the military catering services was urgently needed to ensure the increased number of British troops would be provided for. He appointed an honorary catering adviser for the army, the British businessman and Conservative MP Sir Isidore Salmon, who was tasked with looking into the reforms.

Salmon was well qualified to handle the catering service, as he had served an apprenticeship in the kitchens of the prestigious Hotel Bristol, in London, in his youth. He had also honed his skills at the British restaurant chain launched by Joseph Lyons, before taking over as Head of Catering at the Olympia Exhibition Centre and then at The Crystal Palace – the famous exhibition centre in London’s Hyde Park.

His parents’ family business, Salmon and Gluckstein tobacconists, joined forces with Lyons to expand into catering, so the MP had a lifetime’s experience in the industry. He had soon produced a report detailing many reforms for the army catering services.

He appointed Richard Byford, former catering manager of the Trust House Hotels’ chain, as the Army Catering Chief Inspector. He also created the military school of catering at St Omer Barracks in Aldershot. All of this was achieved before the end of 1938. Subsequently, the Army Catering Corps was officially launched at the start of 1941, initially as part of the Royal Army Service Corps, as a direct result of Salmon’s recommendations.

 

How did the ACC benefit the troops during WW2?

The new organisation meant a new type of soldier was born. Known as the “soldier-cook” on the army’s recruitment posters, he was described as “two professionals in one”. This was indeed the case, as recruits who joined the ACC had to complete their training as cooks at the Army Catering School in Aldershot, before working for the unit on active service.

During WW2, the new corps became highly successful in maintaining the troops’ morale. More civilian caterers were called up to manage the training of army cooks as the unit grew. During the war, more than 70,000 people served in the ACC.

Prior to the unit being formed, each individual battalion had been responsible for its own catering arrangements, but the ACC centralised operations to form a unit whose sole job was providing high quality and nutritious meals to keep the frontline troops well-fed.

Considering a staggering 2.9 million men had served in the British Army by the end of WW2, it’s apparent what a huge and important role the ACC played. This importance was recognised on 29th May 1943, when Army Order 819 decreed the ACC was an all-tradesman corps, acknowledging the professional skills of the trained cooks who served in the corps.

One of the most challenging aspects of the ACC during WW2 was to make sure the troops’ food remained fresh, even when they were serving in the summer months, or in hot climates overseas. It was important to ensure the meat and vegetables were kept fresh and free from bacteria, so the soldiers didn’t get food poisoning.

During conflicts in years gone by, this wasn’t always successfully achieved. The cooks in the ACC were fully-trained professionals and recognised the importance of cleaning pots and pans thoroughly and disposing of waste properly to avoid attracting flies and other insects.

The refrigeration industry in the UK pulled together during WW2 to help the war effort and the production of commercial refrigerators increased. Historians say never before, and never since, has one nation been so united with the single purpose of winning a war.

Service technicians were employed to handle the heavy refrigeration equipment, diagnose problems quickly and find solutions in the field. They became prime candidates for military service, while many factories across Britain were commissioned to build machinery, including refrigerators, to support the war effort.

 

What was the role of the NAAFI?

During World War 1, the Expeditionary Force Canteens were launched to provide food for soldiers serving overseas. They were run jointly by Army Service Corps and the Canteen and Mess Co-operative Society.

The Army Canteen Committee was created towards the end of WW1 to run army canteens at home. This later became the Navy and Army Canteen Board, which took over the Expeditionary Force Canteens in 1919.

The civilian organisation, the NAAFI, was launched by the British Government in January 1921 to run canteens and recreational services for the armed forces. Making an important contribution during WW2 by running military canteens to serve the food provided by the Army Catering Corps, the NAAFI had 96,000 personnel and ran 7,000 canteens by the end of WW2. In 1939, the service had only 4,000 personnel and around 600 canteens, so its growth was rapid between 1939 and 1945.

As well as providing services in Britain and in Europe, the NAAFI controlled the forces’ entertainment organisation, the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), which also played a key role in maintaining troop morale.

 

What happened to the ACC after the war?

The Army Council announced it was retaining the ACC on 5th October 1945, as it had come to play an integral part in the success of the army. The corps expanded in the post-war years and in February 1947, it welcomed its first intake of junior trainees, who were the forerunners of the popular catering apprenticeship scheme.

Serving in all the military campaigns after WW2, the catering corps went from strength to strength. Awarded the Freedom of Aldershot in 1971 in recognition of its sterling work, a decade later, in 1981, the ACC was also awarded the Freedom of Rushmoor.

The legacy of the Army Catering Corps has continued into the 21st century. As a result of the Options for Change review in April 1993, the ACC amalgamated with the Royal Corps of Transport, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the Postal and Courier Service of the Royal Engineers and the Royal Pioneer Corps to form the Royal Logistic Corps.

 

Lest we forget

On 11^th November, at 11am,  KF Bartlett we will be observing the 2-minute silence as a mark of our respect for all those who served in times of conflict to protect the freedom of our great nation. We will remember them.

Fish and chip Friday is a staple of British culture, when people traditionally enjoy a “chippy tea” and bring home the nation’s favourite takeaway. Battered white fish, such as haddock or cod, a bag of chips and a polystyrene carton of mushy peas, curry or gravy are served up in many a household across the UK.

Fish and chip shops first sprang up in Britain in the 1860s, but the tradition of eating fish on a Friday dates back way before that. According to religion, it is a requirement to abstain from meat every Friday and throughout Lent.

Religious origins

Although many non-religious people celebrate Easter by giving gifts of chocolate Easter eggs, it is at the heart of the Christian calendar. It’s a celebration to mark Jesus Christ’s resurrection, commemorating his death on the cross on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

To do penance for his death, we eat fish instead of meat on Good Friday because of the Roman Catholic tradition. Jesus sacrificed his flesh (his life) on Good Friday. He died for our sins, so the church asks us to acknowledge his sacrifice.

On the anniversary of Christ’s death, although followers won’t eat meat, fish is an acceptable alternative because fish are not warm-blooded animals. Easter falls during the Christian calendar at a time of year known as Lent, when devotees abstain from eating certain foods to demonstrate self-restraint for 40 days.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is in February each year. The 40-day fast continues until the Thursday before Easter Sunday. After this date, people can indulge again – hence the feast of chocolate eggs in modern times.

Fish on Friday

Now, fish and chips is the meal of choice for thousands of families on a Friday evening, but many don’t realise why the chippy tea is so embroiled in British tradition.

Before the first fish and chip shop opened in the mid-19th century, people would buy and cook fresh fish on a Friday. Those who lived in sea ports were lucky, as they could buy it freshly caught from the docks but for others, the fishmonger was the answer.

Oldest chip shop

Located on Endell Street, London, the Rock and Sole Plaice is believed to be Britain’s oldest fish and chip shop. Founded in 1871 by the Fenner family, the chippy remained a family business for almost a century. It was taken over by Ray Fenner, grandson of the founder, in the 1920s and he ran it until 1968.

His daughters, Anna and Rachael, wanted their late father’s legacy to live on and they passed on their recipes and cooking tips to the current owners, so that customers could still enjoy the traditional fish and chips that have been served the same way for 147 years.

The two-storey restaurant serves locally sourced fish that is cooked using the original batter recipe, which has been enjoyed by generations of customers.

Best batter

So, just how should fish and chips taste? The traditional meal comprises fish lightly coated in batter, so it’s crisp on the outside and never soggy. This is served with fresh potatoes sliced in thick chunks and deep fried – thinner chips in many fast food places are American fries and should not to be confused with British chunky chips.

The tradition of frying fish in batter is believed to have been introduced in England in the 17th century by Western Sephardic Jewish immigrants. The fish was dipped in batter made of flour mixed with water.

Over the years, other variations were introduced, such as making the batter with beer or soda water rather than plain water, or with cornflour instead of regular flour. However, the basic recipe has remained the same.

The first fish and chip shop is said to have been opened in London in 1860. Joseph Malin came to England from Eastern Europe and opened a chippy in the East End.

Growth of the chippy

By 1910, more than 25,000 chippies had opened across Britain. Fish and chips had become a staple diet, particularly for working class families in the north of England.

Professor John Walton studied the history of the humble chippy for his book, Fish and Chips and the British Working Class. He claimed the British government ensured supplies of fish and potatoes were safeguarded during World War I. He said the Cabinet realised the importance of keeping people on the home front well fed and in good heart.

This practice continued during World War II, when fish and chips were one of the few foods that weren’t rationed. According to historians, fish and chips also played a part in the D-Day Landings because they were so embedded in British culture. It is said the British soldiers identified each other amid the confusion by shouting “fish” as a code word. They would await the correct response of “chips”.

Today, Brits eat around 382 million portions of fish and chips annually, which equates to six servings for every man, woman and child in the country. We spend an amazing £1.2 billion in the chippy every year in the UK!

Cooking fish and chips in the traditional way is essential to achieve that fresh crispy taste! Our range of top-quality catering equipment includes a range of fryers – we’ll soon have you making fish and chips to die for!

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If you were around in the 1980s, you’ll remember the famous ice-cream advert featuring a singing gondolier in romantic Venice. Just One Cornetto was voted the catchiest advertising jingle ever – it’s probably still embedded in your brain more than three decades later!

First aired in 1982, the famous advert for Wall’s Cornetto featured a young woman eating an ice-cream, while relaxing in a gondola and being serenaded by a gondolier in another boat coming from the opposite direction.

Thinking she is being wooed, she sits back, eyes closed, enjoying the operatic interlude, as the singing boatman gets closer. To her surprise, he is only after her Cornetto – he smartly whips it out of her hand as their boats pass and makes off with it down the Venetian canal!

The jingle, Just One Cornetto, was set to the tune of the famous 1898 Italian opera song, ’O Sole Mio, which is a globally recognised Neapolitan song. The music was composed by Eduardo di Capua and Alfredo Mazzucchi and the original lyrics written by Giovanni Capurro, who is a well-known 19th century poet and playwright.

The original lyrics spoke of the beauty of a sunny day, the air serene and fresh after a storm, while the real sunshine radiated from the beauty of the writer’s sweetheart. The Cornetto advert had rather different lyrics, beginning with the famous line, “Just one Cornetto, give it to me!”

The jingle was sung by operatic singer Renato Pagliari, who died at the age of 69 in August 2009. A former Italian waiter, he shot to fame in 1982, when he had a number one UK chart hit, Save Your Love, with singing partner Renée – alias Hilary Lester – which stayed in the top spot for four weeks.

Rome-born Renato didn’t appear in the Cornetto advert and the song was mimed by an actor. Although born in Italy, Renato had emigrated to the UK and spent much of his life in the West Midlands, where he was an avid Aston Villa football fan.

Villa manager Ron Atkinson so admired Renato that he enlisted him to sing Nessun Dorma at half-time during a match in the 1990s to inspire the team!

The Cornetto advert was a marketing dream, as it had everything – a glamorous location, romance and a memorable jingle that stuck in everyone’s head.

When the advert was first released in 1982, the Cornetto was already one of Wall’s most popular ice-creams. It was first manufactured by Italian ice-cream company Spica in 1959. When a delegation from Unilever – the owner of the Wall’s brand – visited Spica on a trade trip in 1962, they were so impressed that they acquired the company.

The Cornetto first appeared in the UK in 1964, but it wasn’t until the famous heatwave in 1976 that it finally took off. The gondolier advert ensured it rocketed to mass popularity in the 1980s and the strawberry flavour remains the second best-selling ice-cream in Britain to this day.

Over the years, Wall’s has added many different flavours to the Cornetto catalogue including the original flavours such as vanilla and strawberry, along with today’s mouth-watering selection including mint chocolate, peanut butter, nut, chocolate chip, cookie dough, lemon whippy, raspberry, double chocolate and many more. The Cornetto Love Potions range was released in 2004, with exotic flavours such as tiramisu and cinnamon, and cappuccino and Irish Cream.

It was estimated that in 2004, when Cornetto sales boomed to 80 million for the year, the number sold would stretch from the UK to Australia if placed end to end!

In 2013, Unilever expanded into the sweets market and launched Cornetto chocolate confectionery in the UK, signing a licensing deal with Kinnerton Confectionery.

A survey of 1,000 people found that more than 70% recognised the original 1982 Cornetto advert and remembered its first broadcast. The original advertising campaign ran throughout the 1980s and ’90s. The 1982 advert was then remade in 2006, this time featuring London workers and residents singing Just One Cornetto.

Today, for a large number of British consumers, Cornetto’s alternative lyrics to ’O Sole Mio are more famous than the original.

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The evergreen BBC comedy, Dinnerladies, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year – and the humour remains as sharp today as it did when it was first broadcast in 1998. As well as re-runs of the series on Gold, BBC bosses have revealed a new documentary is in the pipeline.

It will be based on writer Victoria Wood’s personal diary that she kept while Dinnerladies was being filmed. The content has never been revealed publicly before and the announcement has led to excitement among fans of the late writer, comedian, singer and actress, who died, aged 62, of cancer in April 2016.

Wood had written, co-produced and starred in Dinnerladies from 1998 to 2000, creating a cast of ordinary and often downtrodden characters, who worked in a canteen and whose rich dialogue endeared them to viewers.

She had written a diary while playing the role of the Manchester canteen manager, Brenda Furlong. BBC bosses announced last September that they were to film a three-part series, called Dinnerladies Diaries, based on Wood’s notebooks.

Wood’s rise to fame began in the 1980s with her TV sketches, including her renowned mini-sitcom set in Acorn Antiques, which was broadcast from 1985 to 1987. It parodied clichéd soap operas, with the writer starring alongside her long-time comedy partner, Julie Walters. Wood played the antiques shop co-owner Miss Berta and Walters played the elderly tea lady, Mrs Overall.

Wood won a BAFTA award for Best Actress for her 2006 made-for-TV film, ‘Housewife, 49’. Based on the diaries of housewife Nella Last -which she had written during World War II – the diaries were published under the title, ‘Nella Last’s War: A Mother’s Diary, 1939-45’, in 1981.

They followed the ordinary day-to-day experiences of a housewife in Cumbria, northern England, during the war. Wood wrote the screenplay for the film and also starred as Last. The Best Actress award was one of five BAFTAs won by Wood, who was also presented with the BAFTA Fellowship in 2014 and a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2008.

As a gentle comedy, with the characters trying to deal with their woes in a dignified manner, its humour often had a poignant touch that further endeared them to the viewers.

One of the main, ongoing plots was Bren’s strained relationship with her wacky mother, Petula. Julie Walters starred as Petula, who placed Bren in foster care as a child. Petula claims to mingle with the rich and famous, but it transpires she lives in a caravan and seems to visit her daughter only when she wants to borrow some money!

During the series, Bren’s feelings for the manager Tony (played by Andrew Dunn) come to the forefront, but it takes them some time to get together, as despite being witty, Tony is a shy man and doesn’t reveal his feelings easily. At the end of the final series, they move to Scotland together, so it’s a happy ending for Bren.

The other characters included Dolly (played by former Coronation Street star Thelma Barlow) who was a bit of a social climber and disliked risqué behaviour and bad language. Another ex-Coronation Street star, Shobna Gulati, played nice but dim Anita, who longs to settle down and have a family. Events take a turn for the worse when she finds out she’s pregnant. On giving birth, Anita dumps the baby on Bren and leaves a note asking her to care of him, before she runs away.

The series was made special, thanks to Wood’s intuitive and poignant dialogue, which elevated Dinnerladies to a higher level than the traditional sitcoms of the era. Subsequently, it won the Best Comedy title at the 2000 British Comedy Awards.

Featuring interviews with cast members and never seen before backstage photographs, the new three-part documentary series, Dinnerladies Diaries, is to be broadcast on the Gold TV channel.

Wood was a British comedy treasure.

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Award-winning soap EastEnders has remained among the top-rated UK television programmes since it was first launched in 1985, winning a multitude of awards and tackling many hard-hitting and controversial issues during its 33 years on air.

Creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith set the action in the fictional location of Albert Square, Walford, in London’s East End. Among the many awards EastEnders has won over the years are the Inside Soap Award for Best Soap every year from 1997 to 2012, nine BAFTAs and 13 TV Quick and TV Choice Awards for Best Soap.

EastEnders was BBC1’s most watched show on 1st January 2018, when 6.6 million viewers tuned in, according to the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board. It was revealed to be the most watched television programme of the year in 2015. Originally, there were two 30-minute episodes per week, but the show is now broadcast four times a week.

Although there have been many characters over the years, few have been in the programme from the start. Ian Beale, (played by Adam Woodyatt, 49), has literally grown up on the square. He has appeared continuously since the first episode on 19th February 1985, when he was market trader Pete Beal’s teenage son. His character has now been married five times!

Another character who has been there from the start is Dot Cotton, played by June Brown MBE – now aged 90. She is known for being a Christian and for chain smoking, gossiping, kindness to those in need and for being the legendary manager of Walford launderette.

The launderette on Bridge Street has become a well-known set in its own right, containing six washing machines, two tumble dryers and one spin dryer. Many a time, Dot has been heard to mention the owner of the launderette, Apostulous Papadopolous, although she has always called him Mr Papadopolous.

The launderette has been the location of many of Dot’s scenes throughout the history of EastEnders, as she has worked there for almost her entire time in the soap. She worked alongside Pauling Fowler from 1985 to 2006.

As the owner was rarely present, the day-to-day running of the launderette and the working relationships of the staff hinged on the friendship of the women who worked there. Dot and Pauline were frequently seen gossiping, reminiscing about the past and sharing their troubles in the launderette.

Working there has been a rocky road for Dot, who was handed her notice on 12th December 2016 – the launderette is set to become a dry cleaner’s instead. She is interviewed for her own job, but struggles with the technical side of working there, although says she’s a “people person”. However, to her dismay, she is told she won’t be kept on after the launderette is refurbished.

The launderette closed on Christmas Eve 2016, when Dot walked away for the final time in a poignant scene. However, a new storyline announced in December 2017 said it would be reopening in 2018 with new character, Karen Taylor, (played by Lorraine Stanley) stepping into Dot’s shoes.

Dot had gone away to recuperate following a fall in October 2017 but returned to the Square in January 2018 and saw that the launderette had reopened. She recalled all her memories of working there and gave Karen a helping hand in one of the first episodes of the new year.

Fans are now wondering whether Dot’s long association with the launderette will continue, as most would like to see her back in her rightful place. Only time will tell.

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