This film is part of Free
Wartime Food Boredom
The Ministry of Information plays the guilt card to keep the home front from grumbling at mealtimes
Overview
Shepherd's pie, stew, sausages, hotpot. What now reads like a typical gastro-pub menu are here used are the examples of everyday mealtime mundanity of the home front. If your parents ever conjured up starving kids in Africa when you were little to get you to eat your greens, then here is an example of the Ministry of Information employing a similar tactic.
This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.
Related
Herrings Herrings
Public Information Filler 1940 7 mins
This informative herring aid from WWII makes no bones about the need to make the most of every fish
Black Country Food Black Country Food
News 1972 5 mins Location: Wednesbury
Tasting the plain, good 'fittle' of the Black Country - just remember to pull the hairs out of those pork scratchings.
Indian Sweets Indian Sweets
News 1979 4 mins Location: Moseley
A new type of shop appears on the high street: Indian sweets have arrived in Birmingham.
Chinese Restaurants Chinese Restaurants
Non-Fiction 1965 7 mins Location: Birmingham
From the House of Liang Nam to the Kam Ling Bamboo Rooms: the pioneers who made the long journey from Hong Kong to bring Chinese food to Birmingham.
A Party Dish by X. Marcel Boulestin A Party Dish by X. Marcel Boulestin
1936 9 mins Silent
Guests to impress? Celebrity chef Marcel Boulestin out a quick veal escalope with the aid of a shiny new gas cooker.
Cheese Making at Home Cheese Making at Home
Non-Fiction 1918 4 mins Silent
Handy hints for would-be fromagers
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.