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I sent my chief research worker into some of the humbler homes with a Health Visitor—
(a) To find out what they had in the house in the way of food, and the method of
its preparation.
(b) What reserve they had apart from day to day catering.
(c) What utensils they had to cook with.
One was rather surprised to find that in a large number of houses, even among the very
poor, they had a large iron saucepan twelve inches in diameter, and about the same depth. This,
it was found, was utilised more for washing clothes than for cooking food. But its possibilities
from a cookery point of view were, of course, very large.
In November I had a fortnight's demonstrations in Isleworth, taking Isleworth as that part
of the district representing the most concentrated area of the poorer members of the community.
In view of a certain amount of hostility that had been evinced, it was necessary to ensure
that there was no failure, and publicity was an expensive part of the campaign. It was a matter
of regret that in one section I particularly wanted to reach, practically every poster I put up was
pulled down. Outside the Hall on the main 'bus route through Isleworth, a large hanging
streamer was suspended inviting people to attend to see " How to Stretch the Food Shilling."
The Isleworth Public Hall was utilised for the demonstrations, and not only had it to be
specially adapted for the audience, but adapted so that the audience could see everything that went
on in the way of preparing the food, and for this reason I had special tables made for the platform.
These were specially floodlighted by an electric installation. This took a considerable number of
experiments before one got the floodlighting exactly on the hands of the demonstrator in the most
efficient way.
The method of the exhibition was that food was partly prepared in our experimental kitchen.
I determined that the usual procedure adopted by the Gas Companies and the Milk Publicity
Council, and others who hold food demonstrations, of offering small portions of the food prepared,
on a fork, was useless for my purpose, and it was arranged that every member of the audience
was supplied with a cardboard picnic plate with a substantial portion and the necessary cutlery for
its consumption. At each demonstration six dishes, including puddings, were prepared and
demonstrated. The bulk of the food was, as I have stated, prepared in the experimental kitchen,
taken down in bulk by motor cars to the Hall, and was there finished off by two assistants. In the
case of some dishes, however, they had actually to be prepared whilst the demonstration was taking
place.
In addition to this, each dish was demonstrated and prepared by Miss Hook from first to
last on the platform. I cannot speak too highly of Miss Hook's methods which, if I may say so
were as perfect as anything I have seen in this direction. She had her audience held from first to
last, and her explanations were so lucid that they kept the audience interested from beginning to
end.
At the end of the demonstrations by Miss Hook, the meals demonstrated were passed to
the audience. This, of course, raised a number of difficult problems :—
(a) How to get the food over hot to the audience.
(b) How to ensure that no mess be made.
I arranged the Hall so that the seats were in rows of four, with a passage way of adequate
width between. I obtained twenty girls from one of the schools, ten of whom took the food out,
each having a corridor. The other ten were provided with baskets and went to collect the cutlery
and debris at the completion of each course. With this arrangement no girl had more than two
people on each side of her corridor to deal with. Therefore, there was no stretching and no
spilling.
The arrangement was that the food that was prepared for the audience was served over a
table at the back of the platform, the girls all proceeding the same way and taking out their tray
with their plates without confusion. The scheme worked so well that throughout the fortnight's
demonstration there was not a single upset or mess on the floor.
In order to ensure that the audience should hear everything, loud-speakers were installed,
but these were discontinued as Miss Hook found she could make herself heard in all parts of the
Hall without them.
It was, of course, necessary to have some assistance for washing up dishes, and these were
housed in a room adjoining the Hall.
In view of the actual cookery that was taking place, safety was ensured by providing two
large extinguishers on either side of the platform, and a fireman was also in constant attendance.
I opened the proceedings each session with a short general talk on nutrition and cookery.
I was extremely fortunate in that for the fortnight's demonstration Miss Hook was assisted
on the platform by the head of one of the best known Domestic Training Colleges in the country,
who came without fee to assist Miss Hook in friendship's name. I cannot be too grateful for
assistance which she gave throughout the fortnight.
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