Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-29
NATIONAL KITCHENS
SOLVE EATS PROBLEM
British Find New System Lowers
High Cost of Living and
Ends Worries.

Washington, Aug 2o.-Natlonal KIT
chens and national restaurants establish
ed in England this year by the British
Food Ministry to avert public hardship
and provide food at reasonable cost,
are underselling privately operated eat
ing-houses. and still are earning big
profts Meals in the restaurants cost
less than in the average American eating
place. despite the fact that England
must import much of its food and has
undergone three more years OF war.
The kitchens are To prepare food Tor
householders, and IN few instances only
are ARRANGEMENTS made for consuming
food on the premises. The restaurant
caters only TO the latter. \ good sub
stantial lunch can bc obtained at the
restaurants tor 81 cents according To
Phillip b. Kennedy, commercial attacho
N London OF the Bureau Of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce
Food rationing has been established
successfully this year Mr.. Kennedy
informs the bureau. but food regulations
resulted IN hotel and restaurant owners
reducing the quantity and quality OF food
without anv reduction IN price In
some instances prices were increased.
THOUSAND KITCHENS IN LONDON.
Seeing that this situation was likely
IN become an actual hardship the Food
Ministry took steps to assist the pubic,
writes Mr. Kennedy The first action
was establishment of national kitchens
a thousand were established from tchru-
ary to August, with only three or tour
under the direct management oi the ROOD
Ministry, the Others being controlled
hv local authorities. Necessary capital
may be obtained from the government,
hn do
ten wears The kitchens are said To
have helped materially in relieving the
food difficulties.
4 further step was necessary, Mr.. Ken
ncdv reports, because hotel and res
taurant patrons found the food regIla-
tions 10 he a hardship. As an cXperi-
ment. the Food Ministry opened IT'S
first national restaurant on June y,
last near the newspaper district IN Fleet
street. and il has proved So successful
that Others are 70 be opened III London
and other cities
The original payment for rent and
equipment amounted 10 SD, TOO writes
Mr. Kennedy The management OF
the restaurant Is IN the charge oi the
Director Of the National kitchens, who
hopes 10 he able TO repay the original
treasury investment within year from
u
idea that this restaurant has been suhsl-
died bv the government, but the director
declares that the food Is purchased IN
the open market in competition with
others. and that all money advanced BY
the Government VIII bc fully repaid
AFTERNOON TEA FEATURE.
in this initial restaurant the staff
numbers about thirty persons The
kitchen and dining room are very clean
and attractive and the service appears
10 be very efficient The system IN vogue
is what is sometimes known IN the nlted
States as the cafeteria Plau-the customers
wait on themselves. TIE dining room
has a seating capacity for l10 persons
at one sitting II is estimated that about
/ 900 meals are served from II 50 m
to p. m. One Of the most profitable
features of the restaurant Is the serving
Of afternoon tea, which has been very we'll
patronized The principle on which the
restaurant Is rIn Il to serve food which
Is most easily procurahle at the time
This makes the possible serving Of liberal
portions at reasonable prices. As an
indi dication OF the prices the following viii
give those in effect on JULY :, 1918
Soup. pence a portion: hsh, TO
pence: roast meat. 4 TO e pence. TWO meat
entrees, 4 to pence. vegetables, , pence
a portion; bread, one-half pence; sweets.
5 and pence; coffee, , pence cup;
tea, on pence a cup
IAN arrang m nj has been worked
out whereby SIX vouchers viii be eX-
changed tor one meat coupon, each
voucher emitting the holder TO a meat
meal OF not less than two ounces. In
this way 1t Is possible 10 procure slx meat
meals for one meat coupon. good
substantial lunch can be produced for
charge Of one shilling, SIX pence approx
mately IS cents
POPULAR WITH WORKERS.
The national restaurant Is very
popular with the shop workers, clerks
and business men in the vicinity Of Fleet
street, the newspaper center OF London.
A queque starts forming a half hour
before the doors open, and 1t Is neces-
sarv 10 remain in line about 45 minutes
before being served. This Is the only
inconvenience attached to the scheme.
and perhaps when more restaurants are
established this NAV be overcome.
This first national restaurant has
received great deal Of public attention.
The newspapers contain a full account
of visit paid by the wife OF the Prime
Minister, Mrs. Lloyd George; the wife
OF the Minister OF Munitions Mrs.
Churchill, and the wife OF the Food
Controller, Mrs Clynes, who took lunch
con at the restaurant and expressed
great commentator Of the food and
service. The rush Of patronage and the
public attention given TO this restaurant
have indicated very clearly that there
is need for many of these restaurants
to be established in London and other
cities of the United Kingdom.
HOTELS PEAR THE RIVALRY.
ALREADY hotels and restaurants have
naturally been considerably alarmed by
tins development The Ministry Of