The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-18
NATIONAL KITCHENS
Kitchens and Restaurants for Supply
ing Food at Less Cost Than Pt1~
vate Establishments III England.

\
Washington, Sept. 12.-National
kitchens ard national restaurants es-
tablished IN England this year By
the british Food Ministry to avert
public hardship and provide food at
reasonable cost, are underselling pr1-
vately operated eating houses, and
still are earning big profits. Meals in
the restaurants cost less than in the
average American eating place, de-
spite the fact that England must i'm
port much of its food and has under
gone three more years Of war.
The kitchens are to prepare food.
for hocsehloders, and in few in
stances only are arrangements made
for consuming food on the premises.
The restaurant caters only to the
| latter. a good substantial 1unch
can be obtained at the restaurants
for 35 cents, according to Phillip B.
Kennedy, commercial attache at
London of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce.
Food ration;ng has been establish
ed successfully this year, Mr. Ken.
ilCQN l1IS ZOIl eau, DQI AOOSN
hregulations resulted in hotel and res
taurant owners reducing the guam
tity and quality Of food without any
reduction in price. In some instances
! prices were increased.
Seeing that this situation was like
| ly to become an actual hardship,
the Food Ministry took steps to as
sist the public, writes Mr.. Kennedy.
The first action was establishment
OF national kitchens. A thousand
were established from February to
August, with only three Of four under
the direct management Of the Food
Ministry, the others being controlled
by local authorities. Necessary capl-
i tai may be obtained f.: the govern
ment, but return payment must be
made in ten years. The kitchens
are said to have helped materially IN
relieving the food difficulties.
a further step was necessary. Mr..
Kennedy reports, because hotel and
restaurant patrons found the food
regulations to be a hardship. AS an
experiment, the Food Ministry open
ed its first national restaurant on
June 26, last, near the newspaper
district in Fleet street, and it has
proved SO successful that others are
to be opened in London and other
cities -
'The original payment for rent
and equipment amounted TO $12,1GO,
writes Mr.. Kennedy ''The manage
ment Of the restaurant is IN the
charge Of the Director of the Nat,
ional Kitchens, who hopes to be able
to repay the original treasury investa
ment within o year from profits earn
ed There has been scne idea that
this restaurant has been subsidized
by the government, but the director
declares that the food is purchased
in the open market in competition
with others, and that all money adj.
vanced by the government will be
fully repaid.
In this initial restaurant the staff
nu. .bers about thirty persons. The
kitchen and dining room are ye,ss
clean and attractive, and the service
appears to be very efficient. The sys-.
TEN in vogue is what is sometimes
known in the United States as the
cafetaria plan-the customers wait
on themselves The dining room has
a seating capacity for ITO persons at
one sitting. It is estimated that
about 1000 meals are served from
1l3O a. m. to s p. N. One OF the
most profitable features OF the res
taurant is the serving Of afternoon
tea, which has been very we'll patron
ized The principle on which the res-
taurant is run is to serve food which
is most easily procurable at the
time. This makes possible the serv-
ing of liberal portions at reasonable
prices. As an indication Of the prices
the following will give those in ef-.
feet on July 2, 1918:
Soup, pence portion; fish, to
6 pence: roast meat, to 6 pence;
two, meat entries, 4 to 6 pence, vege-
tables. 2 pence q portion; bread, one
half pence; sweets, 8 and pence;
coffee, pence a cup tea, one pence.
q cup.
An arrangement has been work
ed out whereby six vouchers will be.
exchanged for one meat coupon, each
voucher emitting the holder to Z;
meat meal Of not less than two
ounces In this way it is possible to
procure six meat meals for one meat
coupon a good substantial lunch
can be produced for charge OF one
shilling. SIX pence approximately 80
cents).
The national restaurant is very
popular with the shop workers,
clerks and business men in the vicln-
:tv Of Fleet street, the newspape:
center Of London. A queue starts
! forming a half hour before the doors
open. and it was necessary to remain
| in line about - minutes before be
ing served This is the only incon-
venience attached 10 the scheme
and perhaps when more restaurants
are established this may be over
come.
This first national restaurant has
received Il great deal Of public atten-
f.,i,,