FOOD PARCELS FOR BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 25564, 6 January 1945, Page 8

FOOD PARCELS FOR BRITAIN

HONEY, JAMS AND SHORTBREAD Practical information on food parcels which are most acceptable to the majority of people in England is contained in a letter recently received in New Zealand from a Sussex resident who frequently entertains New Zealand servicemen in her home and often enjoys the privilige of helpful contributions to her larder from parcels sent to them. “No one in England need be hungry, although we are often very bored with our food, and it is particularly difficult to feed up convalescent people,” she writes. “Personally, at the moment I am most grateful of all for tins of fullcream powdered milk which some of the boys have brought me to make into puddings for the week-end parties that I have for my New Zealand sailors. They have also brought me tins of tongues and other meat, which enable me to invite other youngsters to meet them at Sunday dinner and to use their tinned food for cold supper. If I offer the boys a choice of different tinned meats for Sunday supper they all choose tongue, if any is available.” Tins of shortbread and good New Zealand cake are as much appreciated by hostesses as by the servicemen themselves, and tins of New Zealand soup are always welcomed, according to this writer. “Housewives are more grateful than the boys when tins of honey and jam arrive,” she continues. “Dried fruit is always very welcome; we can get it only sometimes, and it costs a lot of points. We can get plenty of cocoa, and we are conscience-stricken when you send us tea. Good coffee is still plentiful, so it is rather expensive on postage to send cafe au lait when dried milk would be lighter and more useful. You will perceive I have a milk complex, but we have just gone on to our winter ration of two pints a week. Another friend sent me some jellies last week. They have disappeared from our shops, but I hope will return with the spring.”