Dining Out: Restaurants and British Society in the 1930s

Abstract

This article considers the social circumstances supporting wider restaurant use and the problems encountered as this became established in 1930s Britain. A documentary research approach was used to collect the perspectives of those who witnessed, at first hand, these changes in British society and food culture. The data comprise accounts in the contemporary literature and period newspaper reports. In the 1930s, significant social and economic changes supported a much broader demand for restaurants. New types of customer were attracted and many were exposed to a cuisine which bore little relationship to their meals at home. Unfamiliar dishes along with a menu language and service practices derived from the traditional élite food culture created social settings offering embarrassment for the unwary. Restaurant guides and dining advice were published for those wanting to dine with greater confidence and provide insight into social attitudes at the time.