Rationing
Food rationing started in January 1940. Even children were issued with a ration book. Evacuees had to take their ration book with them to the country. Butter, bacon and sugar were rationed first, soon followed by meat, preserves, tea, margarine, cooking fats and, in 1941, cheese. Customers had to register with a particular shop. They could only buy their rationed food from this shop. The shopkeeper would cross out the coupons in the ration book once they had been used.
This picture shows a woman buying food from a Sainsbury’s shop with her ration book. Sainsbury’s also introduced a ‘Fair Shares’ scheme. Customers were given a certain number of points each week.
These allowed them to buy other goods in sort supply, such as sausages and custard powder. The government thought this was such a good idea that they started a similar scheme for all shops.