Minister of Food facts for kids

The Minister of Food was an important job in the British government. This person was in charge of making sure everyone in Britain had enough food, especially during big wars.

There were two main times this role existed:

• During World War I (1916–1921), it was called the Minister of Food Control.
• During World War II (1939–1958), it was called the Minister of Food.

This job was separate from the Minister of Agriculture, who looked after farming.

In World War I, the Ministry helped set up special canteens called National Kitchens. These places offered affordable meals.

During World War II, a huge part of the Minister's job was to manage food rationing. This meant controlling how much food people could buy because supplies were limited.

After 1921, the Ministry's work moved to the Board of Trade. A small Food Department handled food matters between the wars. This department became the Ministry of Food again when World War II started in 1939.

Jamie's Ministry of Food was a TV show in 2008. It featured chef Jamie Oliver trying to encourage healthy eating, just like the original Ministry of Food did.

Women packing bottles of cod liver oil. This was a special food supplement during the war.

Food During World War II

In April 1940, a clever businessman named Lord Woolton became the Minister of Food. He was chosen by the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. Lord Woolton stayed in this role until 1943.

Managing Food for Millions

Lord Woolton was in charge of a huge team. He had 50,000 employees and over a thousand local offices. People went to these offices to get their ration cards. His Ministry controlled almost all food sold in Britain, whether it came from other countries or was grown at home.

His main goal was to make sure everyone had enough to eat. Food supplies were cut because of enemy attacks and the needs of the soldiers. This made rationing very important.

How Rationing Worked

Lord Woolton and his team first thought of one way to ration food. But some experts suggested a "point rationing" system. This meant everyone got a certain number of points each month. They could use these points to buy whatever rationed foods they wanted. They tried it out, and it worked very well! Food rationing was a big success story for Britain during the war.

Keeping Spirits Up

In June 1940, when a German invasion seemed possible, Lord Woolton calmed the public. He announced that there were emergency food supplies. These supplies would last for "weeks and weeks" even if ships couldn't get through. He also said "iron rations" were stored for very serious emergencies. Other food was kept safe outside cities that might be bombed.

When the Blitz (heavy bombing) started in late 1940, he was ready. He quickly set up over 200 feeding stations in London and other cities under attack.

Encouraging Simple Eating

Lord Woolton had to manage food shortages. He knew it wasn't enough just to limit food. He also needed to advertise and explain why it was necessary. He warned that meat, cheese, bacon, and eggs were very hard to find. He asked people to eat simpler meals. He pointed out that there was plenty of bread, potatoes, vegetable oils, fats, and milk. He even asked a mathematician, Martin Roseveare, to help design the ration books.

In 1940, Woolton opened Advice Centres across the country. These centres offered cooking demonstrations and recipe leaflets. They showed people how to make the most of their rations. When imported wheat became scarce, a cartoon character called 'Potato Pete' encouraged everyone to eat more potatoes.

Food from Allies

By January 1941, the usual amount of food coming from overseas had dropped by half. However, by 1942, lots of food started arriving. This was thanks to programs like Lend Lease from the U.S. and a similar Canadian program. Lend Lease was like a gift; there was no charge for the food.

Most food was now rationed. Lord Woolton was especially worried about children. By 1942, he made sure 650,000 children received free meals at school. About 3.5 million children also got milk at school, plus extra supplies at home.

One change many people didn't like was the "national loaf". This was a mushy, grey wholemeal bread that replaced the usual white bread. Children were also sad because sweets were reduced. This saved shipping space for sugar and chocolate.

Woolton's Success

Lord Woolton kept food prices low. Eggs and other items were made cheaper with government help. He promoted recipes that worked well with rationing. The most famous was the meatless "Woolton pie". It was made from carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and turnips in oatmeal, with a pastry or potato top. It was served with brown gravy.

Lord Woolton's business skills made the Ministry of Food's tough job a success. He became very popular, even though there were many shortages.

After the War

After World War II, the Ministry of Food continued its work. It focused on improving public health through the Welfare Foods Scheme. This program started during the war to help people who needed extra nutrition. It gave things like cod liver oil, concentrated orange juice, and vitamin tablets. These were given to pregnant women, new mothers, and young children.

These supplements were handed out at health clinics and local food offices. It was part of a bigger national effort to stop childhood illnesses like rickets. The small bottles of concentrated orange juice became a well-known symbol. They showed how Britain was working to combine public health goals with its wartime food policies.

List of Ministers

Here are the people who held the important role of Minister of Food.

Food Control (1916–1921)

Minister of Food Control

Name		Portrait	Term of office		Political party
	The Lord Devonport		10 December 1916	19 June 1917	Liberal
	The Lord Rhondda		19 June 1917	3 July 1918	Liberal
	J. R. Clynes		9 July 1918	10 January 1919	Labour
	George Roberts		10 January 1919	19 March 1920	Labour
	Charles McCurdy		19 March 1920	31 March 1921	Liberal

The responsibilities of this role were then moved to the Board of Trade from 1921 to 1939.

Food (1939–1958)

Minister of Food

Name		Portrait	Term of office		Political party
	W. S. Morrison (later Viscount Dunrossil)		4 September 1939	3 April 1940	Conservative
	The Lord Woolton		3 April 1940	11 November 1943	Independent
	Colonel J. J. Llewellin (later Lord Llewellin)		11 November 1943	26 July 1945	Conservative
	Sir Ben Smith		3 August 1945	26 May 1946	Labour
	John Strachey		27 May 1946	28 February 1950	Labour
	Maurice Webb		28 February 1950	26 October 1951	Labour
	Major Gwilym Lloyd George (later Viscount Tenby)		31 October 1951	18 October 1954	Liberal & Conservative
	Derick Heathcoat-Amory (later Viscount Amory)		18 October 1954	6 January 1958	Conservative

Heathcoat-Amory held both the Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries and Minister of Food jobs from 1954–55. These roles then merged in 1955, and he became the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Food and Animal Welfare (2018–present)

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Food and Animal Welfare

Name		Portrait	Term of office		Political party
	David Rutley		3 September 2018	27 July 2019	Conservative

This position has been empty since 2019.

See also

• Rural Pie Scheme (1942)