Rationing was a priority for the government at the very start of World War Two. World War One had shown the impact of U-boats and the British government wanted to be prepared for the worst.
September 29th 1939: National Registers were set up and identity cards were issued.
January 8th 1940: Food rationing began. Bacon, ham, sugar and butter were the first foodstuffs to be rationed.
March 1940: Meat was rationed.
April 1940: Lord Woolton became Minister of Food.
July 1940: Tea, margarine, cooking fats and cheese were rationed.
March 1941: Jam, marmalade, treacle and syrup were rationed.
June 1941: The distribution of eggs was controlled.
August 1941: Extra cheese rations were introduced for manual workers.
November 1941: The distribution of milk was controlled.
December 1941: National dried milk and a vitamin welfare scheme were introduced.
June 1942: Dried egg powder was put on sale.
July 1942: Sweets were rationed.
December 1944: Anyone over 70 years was given an extra tea allowance.
January 1945: Whalemeat and snoek was available for sale.
July 1946: Bread was rationed.
The following were taken off ration:
Bread (July 1948)
Jam (December 1948)
Tea (October 1952)
Sweets (February 1953)
Cream (April 1953)
Eggs (March 1953)
Sugar (September 1953)
Butter, cheese, margarine and cooking fats (May 1954)
Meat (June 1954)
September 2010