Food is always a hot topic – Food waste, food banks, food miles, local versus imported. As we all need food, we can’t ignore it. But as some families struggle without enough food to live on, others are challenged to consider how much they throw away, or how to make the food they have go further. Which is why Claud Fullwood set herself the challenge of living on World War Two rations for … War Two rations for Lent. It opened her eyes not only to issues of hunger and waste, but also to the many ways in which we have the power to fix our groaning food system, make our families stronger and our communities whole again.
The Rations Challenge takes the wisdom of World War Two and looks at how it can help us revolutionise how we live now. By learning the lessons our parents and grandparents lived by in the ’30s and ’40s, we can build a future that works for everyone.
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Claud Fullwood’s book The Rations Challenge is a diary-style description of the author’s attempt to survive solely on WWII rationed items for the entire Lenten season.
I was expecting a little different book than the one offered by the author. It was, however, an intriguing look at how rationing worked during the war and for the author today. The book seemed to me to be more of a treatise on how we can change in the face of present concerns, such as climate change. I was hoping for more information on the history of rationing, as well as its economic consequences.
The book was interesting. It just wasn’t what I had expected or anticipated.
I received this book from NetGalley. However, my review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
The author of this book, Claud Fullwood was bored with the usual things they gave up for lent and decided to try living on war time rations for the duration of lent instead. The book lists what the actual war time rations were per adult and per child. I think it would have been even more interesting if it had been a family living on war time rations for the time of lent, as we would have got different generations thoughts on the restrictions as well as the old recipes.
It was interesting to read about the different recipes and I can see where some of them had been handed down from my grandparents to my mum and even down to me. Such as stew & dumplings all in one big pot and literally throwing in whatever you have in the fridge or cupboard. I can remember my mum doing stew and my dad eating the leftovers the next day, saying that stew always tastes even better on the second day! Some recipes that originated back in that era have also been adapted as they have travelled down the generations, for example I remember my mum doing rabbit stew, or putting pig’s kidney in it. Whereas not being a big meat eater I have adapted this and do a vegetable stew.
I really enjoyed the discussion within the book of buying and cooking in season produce, which I am trying to do more of myself. I do always try to buy British, local and in season. With all the talk of climate change if we all bought and cooked in season produce it would reduce the carbon footprint a lot. I have also tried something else Claud did with the “grow your own” unfortunately due to medical issues it became more and more difficult and I had to stop. I do remember my grandparents keeping chickens in their back garden when I was very young. I remember collecting the still warm eggs they laid and choosing which one I would be having!
The second world war era is one I do find fascinating, from the stories of those fighting, and resisting oppression to the women taking on “men’s jobs” and the land army. The role of the housewife had not really been high on my list as to read about during this period of history. Having said that I have always been curious about how people managed on such restricted supplies. It also makes you think how society would cope in the present day with war time style rations. How did/would dietary requirements affect the people and rations. I guess there would be no “I don’t like this or that”. It would be put on the plate and on the table in front of you and you would eat it or do without. I also thoroughly enjoyed the sections where Claud added the stories of those that lived, and worked in this era too.
Will I take anything in particular from the book? Yes, I am definitely going to try harder to buy, cook and eat in season produce, as well as continuing to reduce waste too. I think there is also the aspect of appreciating how much different food we have available and the you don’t know how much you eat/use something until there is a shortage of it.
I would like to think that I can have the “rations challenge” attitude to baking/cooking now. That if I don’t have exactly what a recipe calls for I won’t straight away rush out to the shop to buy that specific missing ingredient, but I will look and see if I have anything similar that I could add and use as an alternative first.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were that we were in an eerily similar situation now with food shortages, although it is being blamed on people buying much more than they need.
To sum up I did enjoy the book, but I can’t help thinking it would have been an even better read as a physical book, so you could flick back and forth easier between rations and recipes. The author also refers to “space” left in the book for you to write in. I think the interactive parts and following recipes would have been so much more fun, had they been more visual too as in an actual book rather than an ebook. I think pictures would enrich the experience of this book even more too.
The current situation in the world and the “panic buying” due to the Covid-19 virus it certainly brings home the necessity of certain food/grocery items and you learn what the “luxury” items are. It certainly makes you understand why rationing had to be brought in during the war so that everybody received their fair share. Though during the war there was the black market for extra items for those that had the money to purchase them. I suppose there is our own version of the black market with those that have bought and hoarded and have tried to sell on at a profit. Taking advantage of the ones who bought sensibly and thought of others.