Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 13 December 1941

Wath’s British Restaurant

Valuable Social Amenity

Wath people who in the past have experienced difficulty with their rations will now have no doubt as to what to give their husbands or sons for the next meal.

Monday’s opening of a British Restaurant at Wath will make available one substantial meal a day at a low charge.

The only disappointment at the opening of the restaurant was the unavoidable absence of Mr. W. Paling, M.P. for the Wentworth Division and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions, due to the war situation. Mr. Paling had to attend a special meeting of the House In the afternoon and sent a wire expressing his regret at having to miss the function.

The opening ceremony was performed by Coun. E. Morton, Chairman of the British Restaurant Committee, who has done much good work in the establishment of the restaurant. Coun. P. B. Nicholson, J.P., chairman of Wath Urban Council presided, supported by Coun. H. Cutts, vice-chairman of the Council, Mr. T. C. Nicholson (Clerk), Mr. W. H. Roberts (Deputy-Clerk) and Miss McPbersoa, a representative of the Ministry of Food.

Preparatory arrangements for the restaurant were made last year during Coun. Morton’s term of office as Chairman of the Council. The restaurant is at St. James’s School, and the capital cost of the transformation is estimated to be about £1,500, which is borne by the Ministry of Food, although the work was done by Wath Council.

There is seating accommodation for 150 people, and the restaurant will be run on the cafeteria system. Up to 400 meals a day can be cooked, but during an emergency twice that number can be provided.

Three Courses For 10d.

A good meal of soup, meat, potatoes and vegetables, a sweet, and either a cup of tea or coffee, is provided for 10d., which is the maximum charge. The kitchen is spacious, and everything is hygienically laid out. The equipment includes ranges, steaming oven, hot cupboards, steam boiler, steam kettle, and steam chlorifier for hot water supply. There are three sinks, a wooden one for washing crockery, a porcelain sink for preparing vegetables, and a galvanised sink for washing pans.

The cook-manageress is Mrs. L. E. Band, and the cook-assistant Mrs. Dyson. There are six full-time attendants, and assistance is also given by members of the Wath branch of the W.V.B. Off the kitchen are a preparing room and store room.

Representatives of many local authorities were present at the opening ceremony.

Coun. Nicholson, after apologising for the absence of Mr. Paling and Mr. W. P. Turner who was indisposed, said a British Restaurant was not a charitable institution, but an institution which would be run on business lines. It it did not pay and was not patronised by the public it would be closed. There were several people to thank for making it possible to open a restaurant at Wath. First came the Mercantile Marina for bringing food supplies and the Navy and R.A.F. Thanks were also due to Mina McPherson for the interest she had shown. Referring to Coun. Morton, Coun. Nicholson said he had been must enthusiastic, and with Mr. W. H. Roberts, was responsible for most of the arrangements. The offer of the W.V.S. was also appreciated. Coun. Morton said Mr. Roberts was the “Brains Trust” of the organisation. The Restaurant Committee had been most enthusiastic and he thanked Mr. W. E. Haigh (Surveyor), and Mr. H. Tattersall (Accountant), and their staffs for their help. The restaurant would provide a meal as good as any in the country. He did not doubt that the people in the district would make good use of the restaurant. He thought British Restaurants would play a big part in the near future, for it was suite evident that food would be rationed more strictly. He was delighted to see such a representative gathering.

Red Letter Day.

County Coun. H. Cutts, proposing a vote of thanks to all who had helped, said it was a red letter day for Wath. Wath Council were among the first to open a British Restaurant in that part of the country. If the venture succeeded perhaps they might consider opening another restaurant at West Melton. It would help the people to enjoy one good meal a day. He had no doubt the venture would be a success.

Mr. A. J. Thompson seconded the vote of thanks. He said the Restaurant was a credit to the officials, it was well managed and he hoped it would be successful. If It proved to be a useful public amenity, as it should do, the Council would have done their duty.

Mr. Roberts, on behalf of the officials, acknowledged the tributes of the speakers. He said he realised that it was possible to make the restaurant a permanent social institution. Such restaurants were intended to continue providing meals after the war, and there was no question that Wath people would make use of theirs. It would help to ease the difficulty experienced by housewives, especially if they had to provide meals two and three times a day. Where workers came home from work and there was no one to prepare a meal, they could be catered for at the restaurant, which was also a means of providing food for families when housewives were taken ill or went away for a rest. The Committee had endeavoured to provide facilities for a meal at a charge which was reasonable to working class people. A great deal of effort had been put into the organising of the restaurant and he hoped that it would be taken advantage of. There was a charge, but if the public made good use of the restaurant it was possible that this charge would be restated.

Afterwards, an inspection of the premises, which were formally opened to the public on Tuesday was made by the visitors.