The 1970s: a time of long hair, platform shoes, flared trousers, dungarees and tank-tops. A time when Disco music, the Bay City Rollers, punk rock and Abba ruled the roost in the pop charts. A time when Liverpool, and not Manchester United, was the dominant force in British football and when Wales were one of the most feared rugby-playing nations in the world.
Perhaps more importantly, it was also a time when home cooking and more exotic, alternative tastes were being explored in more depth than ever before. More diverse ingredients and types of food were being introduced to British tastes, which were readily poised to go beyond the traditional meat-and-veg that was such a prevalent part of our food culture.
During this decade, affordable package holidays became the norm with more and more British people going abroad for their holidays and tasting different foods. This fuelled their desire to recreate these new dishes inside their own homes. Consequently, there was a growing demand for pizzas, fresh pasta (and the ingredients for different pasta sauces), extra virgin olive oil and French bread. Nevertheless, the menu most associated with and most typical of the 1970s was a Prawn Cocktail to start, followed by a main course of Steak & Chips, before being finished off with a generous helping of Black Forest Gateau!
The seventies saw us consuming 2.6 litres of milk, 4.5 eggs, 339g of cooking fat and oil and 1050g of bread per person each week. In 1974, the large sliced loaf of white bread began to be sold in plastic bags rather than the wax paper of old. Vegetarianism began to take a foothold in certain circles within British society and exploded in popularity as a consequence.
One of the biggest things that became established in the 70s was fast food - the first McDonalds restaurant in the UK opened in 1974 in Woolwich, South East London. Convenience foods swiftly followed, as the food industry responded to busier lifestyles and the fast food explosion by introducing food that was quick, simple and convenient to make. Tinned food remained popular but the new boys on the block included the Vesta curries and the unforgettable Smash, instant mashed potato. The advertising campaign for Smash poked fun at the traditional mashed potato in that we had to peel and boil the potatoes before mashing.
A notable consequence of the demand for convenience foods resulted in an upsurge in sales of freezers and fridge-freezers. In truth, the 1970s were where freezers came to the fore as home appliances and were vigorously marketed as essential labour-saving devices for efficient and healthy households. Up to this point the people that owned freezers kept them in the garage but these appliances were remodelled for kitchen use and their popularity soared. In addition, the concept of the fitted kitchen was developed during this decade. Ready-made kitchen packages became available in standardised sizes. This forced a redesign in the size and dimension of freezers, as they had to fit into a ready-made space.
People began to do a weekly shop and buy food in bulk - leading to the growth in large, out-of-town supermarkets and the decline in local grocery stores and freezing large batches of food. Furthermore, frozen food and ready-made meals began to appear on the market, paving the way for the food industry to revolutionise their products.
The availability of newer and more diverse ingredients and food, in conjunction with wine becoming more widely available, saw many new restaurants opening and offering cuisine from all over the world. Even pubs started to offer cheap and cheerful menus (E.g. Chicken-in-a-Basket). People were eating out more often and, coupled with the popularity of convenience foods, they were spending less time in the kitchen.
Enter, Delia Smith. Her simplified no-nonsense approach to home-cooking staved off its decline and her demonstrations of basic cooking techniques encouraged British people to get back into the kitchen. There were celebrity chefs before Delia, such as Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) and Fanny Craddock, but none matched her impact. Indeed, since the 1970s we have continued to enjoy a swathe of celebrity chefs (including our very own Dudley!) who entertain and educate the public in the art of cooking.
It is safe to say that the 1970s was the decade that originated the more cosmopolitan attitude that we have to food in Britain today. This is despite the difficult times of enduring high inflation and economic uncertainty that were always looming. Indeed, the food revolution continued nonetheless as a consequence with supermarkets introducing cheaper own brand food lines to make shopping for food more affordable during times of recession.
We do owe a lot to the 1970s. The decade gave us new types of food, fresh diverse ingredients, fitted kitchens, freezers and the confidence and ability to cook in our own kitchens. Try out Dudleys recipes below for a true taste of the 70s!
Perhaps more importantly, it was also a time when home cooking and more exotic, alternative tastes were being explored in more depth than ever before. More diverse ingredients and types of food were being introduced to British tastes, which were readily poised to go beyond the traditional meat-and-veg that was such a prevalent part of our food culture.
During this decade, affordable package holidays became the norm with more and more British people going abroad for their holidays and tasting different foods. This fuelled their desire to recreate these new dishes inside their own homes. Consequently, there was a growing demand for pizzas, fresh pasta (and the ingredients for different pasta sauces), extra virgin olive oil and French bread. Nevertheless, the menu most associated with and most typical of the 1970s was a Prawn Cocktail to start, followed by a main course of Steak & Chips, before being finished off with a generous helping of Black Forest Gateau!
The seventies saw us consuming 2.6 litres of milk, 4.5 eggs, 339g of cooking fat and oil and 1050g of bread per person each week. In 1974, the large sliced loaf of white bread began to be sold in plastic bags rather than the wax paper of old. Vegetarianism began to take a foothold in certain circles within British society and exploded in popularity as a consequence.
One of the biggest things that became established in the 70s was fast food - the first McDonalds restaurant in the UK opened in 1974 in Woolwich, South East London. Convenience foods swiftly followed, as the food industry responded to busier lifestyles and the fast food explosion by introducing food that was quick, simple and convenient to make. Tinned food remained popular but the new boys on the block included the Vesta curries and the unforgettable Smash, instant mashed potato. The advertising campaign for Smash poked fun at the traditional mashed potato in that we had to peel and boil the potatoes before mashing.
A notable consequence of the demand for convenience foods resulted in an upsurge in sales of freezers and fridge-freezers. In truth, the 1970s were where freezers came to the fore as home appliances and were vigorously marketed as essential labour-saving devices for efficient and healthy households. Up to this point the people that owned freezers kept them in the garage but these appliances were remodelled for kitchen use and their popularity soared. In addition, the concept of the fitted kitchen was developed during this decade. Ready-made kitchen packages became available in standardised sizes. This forced a redesign in the size and dimension of freezers, as they had to fit into a ready-made space.
People began to do a weekly shop and buy food in bulk - leading to the growth in large, out-of-town supermarkets and the decline in local grocery stores and freezing large batches of food. Furthermore, frozen food and ready-made meals began to appear on the market, paving the way for the food industry to revolutionise their products.
The availability of newer and more diverse ingredients and food, in conjunction with wine becoming more widely available, saw many new restaurants opening and offering cuisine from all over the world. Even pubs started to offer cheap and cheerful menus (E.g. Chicken-in-a-Basket). People were eating out more often and, coupled with the popularity of convenience foods, they were spending less time in the kitchen.
Enter, Delia Smith. Her simplified no-nonsense approach to home-cooking staved off its decline and her demonstrations of basic cooking techniques encouraged British people to get back into the kitchen. There were celebrity chefs before Delia, such as Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) and Fanny Craddock, but none matched her impact. Indeed, since the 1970s we have continued to enjoy a swathe of celebrity chefs (including our very own Dudley!) who entertain and educate the public in the art of cooking.
It is safe to say that the 1970s was the decade that originated the more cosmopolitan attitude that we have to food in Britain today. This is despite the difficult times of enduring high inflation and economic uncertainty that were always looming. Indeed, the food revolution continued nonetheless as a consequence with supermarkets introducing cheaper own brand food lines to make shopping for food more affordable during times of recession.
We do owe a lot to the 1970s. The decade gave us new types of food, fresh diverse ingredients, fitted kitchens, freezers and the confidence and ability to cook in our own kitchens. Try out Dudleys recipes below for a true taste of the 70s!