The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-29 00:00:00

COOKING FOR THE MILLION,

There is a famous saying of Brillat-Savarin that the
destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they
are nourished, and in a similar spirit Sydney Smith used to
insist that roast mutton was the great end of government.
If there be any truth in these maxims, it is scarcely pos-
sible to exaggerate the value of a scheme for providing
cheap, wholesome, well-cooked food for the working classes
which has been in operation for the last two years in
Glasgow, and has now passed from the condition of an ex-
periment into that of a permanent enterprise of proved
practicability and success. No one who has had an oppor-
tunity of observing the commissariat of the poor can have
failed to deplore the waste of material which so aggravates
their want. Of the scanty rations which they can afford to
buy—and generally they have to pay a very high price for
a very bad article—a large quantity is lost through bad
cookery, and what is left is often so poor and unsavoury
that, notwithstanding the excellence of hunger as a sauce,
the consumer cannot eat it with that relish which is
essential to its proper nutritive effect. Thus, there is a
triple waste of money, material, and sustaining power. It
is long since various kindly, charitable persons in different
parts of the kingdom, impressed with a sense of this evil,
have tried to remedy it by creating eating-houses for labour-
ing men. So far, therefore, there is nothing original in the
Glasgow scheme—its novelty lies in its success. Almost all
the other establishments of the same sort, having relied for
support rather upon the subscriptions of the charitable than
on the payments of their own customers, have gradually
dwindled out of existence. Subscriptions gradually fell off,
and working men disdained to sacrifice their independence
by accepting their meals from public charity. On the other
hand, the Glasgow eating-houses, although originating in
benevolent motives, have eschewed altogether the idea of
charity. They are conducted on sound business principles,
just the same as any other branch of trade, and are tho-
roughly self-supporting. A profit is charged on every article,
and every one who orders a id. basin of soup or plate of
meat has the satisfaction of knowing that though he is get-
ing a good bargain his custom is remunerative to the dealer.
The consequence is that the cooking depots have run a
prosperous career, and have multiplied and expanded till
they now form one of the most remarkable organisations of
the day.
The solution of the important problem, whether it can be
made a profitable business to supply the working classes
with good food at a cheap rate, is due to the philanthropic
energy of Mr Corbet, a merchant in Glasgow, who has con-
ducted the whole experiment entirely by his own exertions
and at his own risk. He has advanced the whole of the
capital, and whilo'he exacts a proper amount of profit from
the business, he does not pocket the surplus, but applies it
to the extension of the scheme, or to some kindred object.
Mr. Corbet very wisely began in a small way with a single
eating-house on the Broomielaw. This was in Sept., 1860;
but the extraordinary cheapness and excellence of the arti-
cles supplied at this establishment attracted such numbers
from all quarters of the city that within a few weeks it was
found necessary to open anotherplace of the same kind. Since
then a new depot has been formed every two months, and
each fresh development of the scheme has been attended
with conspicuous success. There are now 13 branches in full
operation, and other four are being fitted up. It is calculated
that, in order to enable all parts of Glasgow to participate in
the benefits of the scheme, from 22 to 25 branches will be
required. Of course, in a vast undertaking of this kind
simplicity is essential to economy, and consequently to suc-
cess. Complicated arrangements would be sure to break
down. Too ambitious an aim would be sure to defeat itself.
Mr. Corbet has therefore done well to limit the bill of fare
to a number of common and easily prepared articles of food,
such as barley broth, oatmeal porridge, boiled beef, tea,
coffee, &c., taking care at the same time, however, that the
rations shall be of the best quality and in good measure, The
work of the kitchen is thus brought within the capacity of
the plainest of plain cooks, and as the operations of one day
are an exact repetition of those of the preceding, practice
soon makes perfect. All the cooks and attendants are
women, 130 in all, and are chosen mostly from the ranks of
domestic servants. The only risen employed are the general
manager and some half-dozen buyers, porters, and carters.
In these eating houses, breakfast, dinner, and tea are sup-
plied at a surprisingly low price. A breakfast, consisting of
porridge, milk, coffee, and roll, with butter, can be had
every morning for 3d. Separate rations of soup, potatoes,
bread and butter, or bread and cheese, coffee, tea, porridge,
egg, &c., can be had any hour during the day for Id. each.
At the chief branches at 41d. dinner is served, comprising a
basin of broth, a plate of meat, either hot or cold, an ample
supply of potatoes, and a slice of capital plumpudding. The
best proof that these rations are appreciated is to be found in
the demand for them. Last year, when there were only 12
branches in working order, the average monthly consump-
tion was as follows :-55,000 basins of broth and soup,
52,000 plates of beef, 82,000 rolls, 54,000 cups of tea and
coffee, 14,500 bowls of porridge, 31,000 plates of potatoes,
7,000 boiled eggs, and 14,400 tumblers of milk. Since the
Jamaica-street depot was opened the consumption has, of
course, greatly increased. The penny sale of penny rations,
such as soup, broth, cups of coffee or tea, &c., amounts to
upwards of 400,000: In order to ensure the utmost economy
the raw materials are purchased in the wholesale markets,
and all payments are made in cash. About £6,000 a year
is spent in beef, more than £2,000 in bread, and as much in
potatoes. Some notion of the spirit with which the business
is conducted may be gathered from the fact that every
morning the entire products of two dairies, some six miles
off, are brought into town to supply the breakfast of the
multitude. In order to meet the requirements of the
numerous branches a large central store and model kitchen
is being erected in Pitt-street. The latter will, when com-
pleted, be the largest in the kingdom. It will cover 1,000
square yards of ground, will be 20ft. high, and will be fitted
up with ten steam cooking boilers.
Another feature of the scheme which has also contributed
very much to its success is the comfortable and attractive
character of the eating rooms. While all unnecessary out-
lay has been avoided, care has been taken to secure plenti-
ful light, warmth, and ventilation. The fittings are of the
plainest possible description, the furniture consists only of
deal tables and benches, and the only approach to ornament
is a mirror, or an engraving, over the mantelpiece. But,
although homely, the rooms have a clean, cheerful, tidy
aspect, which must be particularly soothing and agreeable
to the labouring man just come from the dust and disorder
of the workshop or the streets. Every room is well sup-
plied with newspapers, and in each branch there are sepa-
rate apartments for women.

The Jamaica-street establishment, which is the most re-
cent, is superior to the others in accommodation and appear-
ance. It comprises spacious, well-lighted halls, with large
plate-glass windows on three different stories. On each
stage there is a kitchen with apparatus for making tea and
coffee, cooking potatoes, and keeping "hot and hot" the
other articles which are prepared at the central depot.
The number of persons who frequent these restaurants is
now over 140,000. The bulk of them belong strictly to the
working class. At noon, for instance, the branches in Clyde-
street and Jamaica-street are thronged by dock labourers
and artisans, that at Washington-street by men from the
smithies and other works in that quarter, and those in the
east of Glasgow by strapping bare-legged lassies from the
mills. Some bring a piece of bread with them and content
themselves with a basin of broth; others indulge in the
luxurious 43d. entertainment, which includes beef and pud-
ding ; but all receive equal attention from the waitresses,
and behave with the utmost quiet and decorum. Not un-
frequently about this time of the day there are more cus-
tomers than there is accommodation for, and numbers may
be seen waiting till they can get a vacant seat. During
the hour or two following another class takes advantage of
the eating-houses—clerks, shopmen, milliners, and girls in
the shawl and other warehouses. Well-dressed men and
women may often be observed taking their meals in these
places, and as there is a clear profit on every article fur-
nished all are invited to become customers. "These esta-
blishments," says the prospectuses, "are conducted on the
strictest business principles, with the full intention of mak-
ing them self-supporting, so that every one may frequent
them with a feeling of perfect independence." While the
programme has been arranged exclusively with a view to
the wants of the working classes, it is a striking proof of the
excellence of the fare and accommodation provided that
numbers of persons in a better position find it worth while
to avail themselves of it.

After the experience of two years Mr. Corbet feels justi-
fied in declaring that the undertaking is fully self-support-
ing. The amount of business done in the first year, when
only three or four branches were in operation, was £5,100,
and the net profit, after paying all expenses and the heavy
outlay in commencing the movement, was £145. The pre-
sent business exceeds £20,000 annually, and there is every
prospect that, in from four to six years, the whole plant,
which will amount to upwards of £5,000, will be redeemed.
This admirable movement has already been taken up in
Manchester, where Mr. John Pender and Mr. Hugh Birley
have successfully established dining-rooms for working
folk. It is to be hoped that before long something of the
same kind will be introduced into the metropolis, where it
would
meet a crying want. In such districts as White-
chapel, Lambeth, Agnes-town, &c., it would be a great
boon to thousands of poor people. A cooking depot would
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tion recently established under the presidency of Lord
Brougham, to promote these clubs, might profitably take
up the matter. While so much capital is constantly seeking
a charitable outlet, there can surely be little difficulty in
procuring funds for such an object as this. There is the
Peabody Fund for instance, of which it is understood the
trustees are somewhat puzzled how to dispose. .A. very small
grant,nethceesy siwtoouusldparntostoffaLiionto-
don;
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rooms .
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yield a good profit and to repay the capital expended on
them.

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