Family Fare

Acquired an old cookery book last week. Not that I need anymore I've got two big shelves full of them. But this is Family Fare published by the CWS around 1955. It is of its day with a company's products mentioned on every page. For example use four ounces of CWS Silver Seal margarine and 2 ounces of CWS Federation S.R. Flour. The book addresses the woman of the house who wants to produce cakes and savouries for the family. Well women lost their job when they got married in those days and were expected to be little home makers. There are two pages on cooking herrings with a recipe for every month. Some more on Continental Cookery - Croquettes aux Crevettes from Belgium, Chicken Maryland (USA), Mousssaka a la Bos (Greece) for it doesn't have aubergines in it. Well there were no aubergines in Britain for at least another 20 years...

Other sections include jam making, home wine making and toffee. As some one who makes the odd loaf of bread I was puzzled by the CWS Federation flour being used for both making pastry and making bread. These days we have a plain flour and a strong bread flour.

I can't find any information on the famous TV cookery expert in the picture. But around that time the CWS put on exhibitions called Family Fare in cities in England and Wales. You'd have stalls, brass bands, and fashion parades.

Note also the CWS logo from the 1950's. It represents a wheatsheaf but I always think it looked like a thumbprint.