Image by Dean Moriarty (via Pixabay)
Words by Eve Davies
Following the consumer boom of the 1950s, as the economyÔÇÖs war scars healed, the 1960s were characterised by change and innovation. Kitchen appliances evolved. Rationing was ÔÇÿso last decadeÔÇÖ. There was a rise in immigration from former British colonies, and with these social, economic, and scientific changes came flavour!
Today, a few taps on our phone bring international cuisine to our doorstep. Thanks to companies like Just Eat and Deliveroo, we indulge in the tastes of Mexico, Italy, China, India, and many more, from the comfort of our own home. Or, if we fancy a day out during lockdown, we can dress up and venture to Big Tesco to browse the aisles of food from all over the world. In most supermarkets, and even smaller corner shops, there are shelves dedicated to foreign foods. We donÔÇÖt care how these foods were produced or how they got here, all we care is that they are in our basket. Yet it hasnÔÇÖt always been this easy to access such a variety of foods.
The sixties were pivotal to the revolution of the UKÔÇÖs food market. The growth of package holidays in Europe tempted the British palate with tasty new foods, encouraging experimentation in the UKÔÇÖs culinary arena that transformed the swinging sixties to the scrumptious sixties. Foreign fruits appeared in British fruit bowls. There was an influx in migrants from Hong Kong, which spread Chinese restaurants across the UK. Now there are five established ÔÇÿChinatownsÔÇÖ, found in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle. London and the South East also saw a rise in Indian curry houses during the 1960s, but their menu was sparse, offering ÔÇÿhotÔÇÖ, ÔÇÿmediumÔÇÖ, or ÔÇÿmildÔÇÖ curry. The US stamped the UK food industry with Wimpy bars ÔÇô American-style diners offering cheeseburgers for 21p and a WimpyÔÇÖs special grill, consisting of hearty servings of meat, chips, and egg, for 41p. Wimpy bars remained the go-to fast food restaurant until the 90s when they were superseded by McDonaldÔÇÖs.
Whereas now (when COVID restrictions allow), the average Brit dines out two times a week, for the average family in the sixties, eating out was a big treat with much less variety. The closest a lot of people came to eating out was a bag of potato crisps at the local pub. Even then there was only the option of plain or salted, until Golden Wonder introduced cheese and onion flavour in 1962. The 1960s saw the birth of ÔÇÿBritalianÔÇÖ restaurants, including the Berni Inn, a chain of steak houses whose menu consisted of a prawn cocktail starter, steak and chips main, and ice cream for dessert. George Perry-Smith influenced British fine-dining with his restaurant, The-Hole-In-The-Wall, in Bath. He took inspiration from home cookery books and revolutionised the restaurant scene with his dish of salmon baked in pastry with currents and ginger. He insisted his chefs did turns waiting at the tables and his waiters worked spells in the kitchen, believing ‘that cooks would cook better if they saw their food being served, and that waiters would wait better if they understood the food they were servingÔÇÖ.
As rationing filtered out in the mid 1950s, home cooking ingredients became bountiful by the sixties. This allowed people to experiment with dishes in their own kitchens, transforming cooking from a chore to a hobby. The fondue made inroads in home entertaining, while a chunk of cheese and pineapple on a cocktail stick became the height of sophistication at a buffet. There were advances in the alcohol market with the introduction of larger, a lighter, refreshing alternative to British ales and stouts. Wine also became accessible for lower classes.
As the economy revived, living standards and the pace of life picked up, and Britain opened its arms to consumerism; with this, came a demand for convenience foods. Large companies invented foods that were ready to consume when bought, foods with a long shelf life, and foods able to be frozen and cooked at ease. Quaker oats introduced their instant oatmeal sachets, Cadbury (yes, the chocolate virtuosos) invented smash, and cereal products flooded the market. During the sixties more people owned fridge-freezers and coal-fired plumbing systems were replaced with gas and electric initiating the expansion of the frozen food industry. Thanks to Captain Birdseye, fish fingers became a regular in many homes.
It was no longer a matter of ÔÇÿyouÔÇÖll get what youÔÇÖre givenÔÇÖ so peopleÔÇÖs taste buds became a lot more cosmopolitan, making them selective with their food choice. Vegetarianism caught on, health consciousness emerged, and with that came a string of fad diets.
No matter how far British food revolutionised in the sixties, the food industry was still miles behind where we are now. Your grandparents certainly wouldnÔÇÖt have been going out for a smashed avocado brunch, popping for lunch at a Burrito bar, or ordering a Wagamamas from their iPhone.