• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MsMarmiteLover

  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Vegetarian
    • Vegan
  • Travel
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • UK
  • Wine
  • Gardens
  • Supperclubs/Events
  • About
    • Published Articles
    • Books
  • Shop
    • Cart

The Government Covid Food Box plus recipes

June 19, 2020 11 Comments Filed Under: Food, London, Pasta, Recipes, Soups, Vegetarian

Government. food box for the vulnerable during Covid lockdown pic: Kerstin rodgers/msmarmitelover.com

I’m getting a weekly government food box delivered to my door (I was deemed vulnerable due to health issues and living alone). The government should be applauded for getting this underway in such a short time, delivering over 300,000 boxes weekly, in conjunction with distribution companies such as Brakes and Bidfood.

The box contains basic essential foods for those self-isolating. According to the government it contains enough food for one person for a week and is compiled with the help of nutritionists. Everything is designed to be stored at ambient temperatures and the fresh foods, carrots, potatoes, apples, are long lasting.

The choices are quite random: a friend in a neighbouring borough gets completely different food. Nor are dietary requirements taken into account: I get cans of meat (which I give away) and my friend can’t eat most of her box as she is coeliac (a severe gluten allergy).

The last time the government started handing out food in the UK was during the second World War. How does it compare to rationing? In terms of choice, the 2020 foods do seem like something out of the 1950s.

1945 weekly rationing:

540g meat

230g bacon or ham

1 egg (double for vegetarians)

57g cheese (double for vegetarians)

250g sugar

57g loose tea

1.7 litres of milk

57g butter (so approximately a quarter of a pack)

113g margarine

57g lard (for cooking)

1 bar of soap or laundry soap

1 jar of jam or 2 jars of marmalade a month

340g sweets a month

1 tin of milk powder every two months

Fruit, vegetables and fish were not rationed but were difficult to obtain. Many shopkeepers would only sell one apple per week per person.

Today’s box would feed one person for seven days, at least two meals a day including breakfast, so no one would starve. But you would need some spices, oil, butter, cheese, salt, to make your dishes a little more flavoursome.

2020 Covid box:

Box of Ready Brek. I get this every week which is too much. I’ve tried to make other things such as flapjacks but I can’t say it was a success.

5 Carrots

2 kilos potatoes

1 large onion

5 Satsumas

6 small apples

500g packet of macaroni or spaghetti

2 x 500g packets of rice (basmati or long grain)

Pack of digestive biscuits ( good for a cheesecake base)

Can of meatballs or Fray Bentos meat pie

2 litres of long life milk

1 tin of tomatoes

Jar of ‘Bolognese’ sauce, without meat. (It has so much sugar in it that I added salt, garlic, olive oil and a couple of bay leaves to make it palatable.)

3 tins of soup (mushroom, vegetable or tomato)

Can of kidney beans or peas (make a bean salad or rice and ‘peas’)

Tin of baked beans in tomato sauce

Bar of soap (foamy)

Lynx body wash (I cannot use a bottle of this every week)

2 rolls of toilet paper

Loaf of pre-sliced white ‘Mother’s Pride’ style bread – while this is perfect for dainty and refreshing cucumber sandwiches, today many of us would prefer something along the lines of the ‘National Loaf’, hearty and wholemeal, available during World War 2 (and at the time, much complained about).

Can of tuna in brine. This can be used for tuna salad, sandwiches or added last minute to a tomato pasta sauce.

Box of long-life orange juice (I’ve been making gin and government orange cocktails with this)

Can of mixed fruit salad in juice

14 x PG Tips tea bags

50g sachet of instant coffee

The fresh food and the milk are incredibly useful, although dairy, protein and some basics such as cheese, oil, and butter is missing. (What are you supposed to put on your toast?) The government’s idea of a treat is a packet of plain digestives. Even in the war they got a 2 ounce bag of sweets in their rations! There is no sugar or eggs so baking would be difficult.

  • Tinned mushroom soup macaroni cheese pic: Kerstin rodgers/msmarmitelover.com
Print

Mushroom Soup Macaroni Cheese

This was surprisingly good, although I did add some cheese I found lurking in the back of my freezer. Quick too! This recipe makes enough for a family meal but feel free to half it which will do for 2 people.
Course Main Course
Cuisine British
Keyword Baked pasta, Canned food, Cherry recipe, Macaroni Cheese with tinned mushroom soup, Pasta, Tinned food
Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 500 g macaroni
  • butter for greasing the tin
  • 2 410ml tins of mushroom soup
  • 150 g cheddar or comté cheese, grated
  • 2 tbsp ground pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180c.
  • Boil the macaroni in salty water in a large saucepan for 2 minutes less than it says on the packet. Drain.
  • Grease the baking tin with butter and tip in the cooked macaroni
  • Stir in the tins of cream of mushroom soup
  • Grate the cheese on top and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Add pepper and serve hot.
  • Government Covid Tuna pasta pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover
Print

Government tuna pasta

The 'bolognese' sauce jar was very sweet (WTF is that about?) but with some work it can become a halfway decent sauce. Plus I added a tin of tuna, drained.
As government pasta, while not being too bad, is not of the best quality, really take care not to overcook it, as it will become fudgy, not al dente.
Course Main Course
Cuisine British, Italian
Keyword Baked pasta, Government box scheme, What to make from jars and tins
Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 50 ml olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jar 'Bolognese' sauce
  • 1 tin tuna in brine, well drained
  • 500 g spaghetti or other pasta
  • 2 tbsp sea salt. (1 for the pasta, 1 for the sauce)

Instructions

For the sauce:

  • Take a deep frying pan on a medium heat and add 40ml of the olive oil
  • When the oil is quite hot, add the chopped onion and fry on a low heat until soft
  • Add the bay leaves
  • Add the garlic
  • Add the jar of sauce
  • Add the salt
  • Add 10ml of olive oil to the drained tuna which you add to the tomato sauce last minute

For the pasta:

  • Using a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta 2 minutes less than it says on the packet.
  • Drain and toss in butter or olive oil. If not using, then stir it into the sauce very quickly before it sticks together.
Gin and Government Orange cocktail pic: Kerstin Rodgers/msmarmitelover.com
In a smaller glass (I probably had three) sorry about gardening hands
Print

Gin and Government Orange for Press Conferences

Unfortunately the gin doesn't come in the box, but this is a 'cocktail' we used to drink all the time in the 80s although nobody seems to now. The orange juice isn't great quality so is perfect mixed with alcohol.
It took me a couple of weeks to order a bottle of gin from Amazon as I couldn't get any supermarket delivery slots.
To be sipped while watching the daily Number 10 afternoon press conference on the Covid situation.
Course Cocktail, Drinks
Keyword Gin, Government Covid box, Orange Juice

Ingredients

  • Ice
  • Gin/Vodka/fizzy white wine
  • 1 litre Government Orange Juice

Instructions

  • Take a tall cold glass, fill halfway with ice
  • Put in a measure of gin or alcohol of your choice
  • Top up with plenty of government orange juice
Print

Cucumber sandwiches

I'd forgotten how delicious these are, especially during the recent heatwave. White bread is sometimes just the thing for a tea time sandwich. If you can't get hold of a cucumber, use the government issued tin of tuna, drained and mixed with mayonnaise.
Crusts on or off, I'll leave that to your discretion…
Course Afternoon Tea, Sandwich
Cuisine English
Keyword Cucumber recipes, English afternoon tea, English sandwiches, Hot weather food
Serves 1

Ingredients

  • 2 slices white ready sliced bread
  • salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced rounds, skin on or off, you decide
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Butter both slices of bread. A sandwich bar trick is to use a rubber spatula for easy spreading.
  • Place the thin rounds of cucumber on the bread.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cut into four triangles and serve with a cup of tea or a glass of Pimms

The government is finally acknowledging that food poverty exists in the UK, at least during the Corona Virus lockdown, and announced on the 8th of May that they were giving 16 million pounds to food charities. But access to fresh foods, fruit, vegetables, cheese, butter and eggs could be improved along with meat alternatives such as nuts. The poor and the vulnerable can’t exist on cans alone.

Personally I haven’t been able to access any supermarket priority slots, which was supposed to be a feature of this scheme. Fortunately, as a chef, I have a good larder, but my quality of my diet has definitely suffered during lockdown.

Recent posts

midsummer supper club June 17th 2023 Msmarmitelover

My next supper club: midsummer June 17th

May 28, 2023

I organised a street party for the Coronation

May 10, 2023

The Seafood Shack in Ullapool, Scotland.

May 4, 2023

Previous Post: « Sean’s loaf & instructions how to make sourdough from scratch.
Next Post: Carrot and tahini soup recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margo

    June 20, 2020 at 10:22 am

    Very interesting article. The government has done it’s best for vulnerable people. Like your recipes ……and the Corona cordial cocktail ??????

    Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      June 23, 2020 at 8:51 pm

      ahem. I didn’t get any orange juice this week. maybe they saw my post and realised I wasn’t using it in an approved fashion.

      Reply
  2. Sarah Moore

    June 22, 2020 at 7:26 am

    It’s really interesting to hear about your experience with this. I’ve been working on the Camden side of things, with people who are and aren’t eligible for the government box.

    Some are combining our box with the government box to meet their needs, some have dietary requirements the government box doesn’t cover, some have families of 8 isolating with them and the government box only has enough for one. Most aren’t eligible for the government box but are isolating either temporarily (due to virus exposure) or longer term due to health conditions.

    The marmite ingredient in our box is chickpeas. Some people love them, some hate them and many tell me to leave them out. Others relish the challenge: “Because of my health condition I need to up the protein in my diet, chickpeas have protein so I’m going to figure out how to use them”. One man was taught how to make hummus by his Lebanese neighbour. I really want to write a chickpea cookbook when this is all over…

    Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      June 22, 2020 at 7:54 am

      I’d kill for chickpeas

      Reply
  3. Sarah Trivuncic

    June 22, 2020 at 10:58 am

    This is fascinating… I’d not heard much about these boxes in the media apart from early reports they were full of junk but your borough looks like they’ve done decent job. Am totally sold on the idea of mushroom soup macaroni cheese, my son and husband would love that. Looking at the wartime list I can’t help thinking the vegetarians were badly short changed by replacing 500g meat with bit of extra cheese and single egg?!

    Reply
  4. Sarah

    June 23, 2020 at 7:56 am

    I love this post it is interesting and I feel the food boxes are one thing (at least) the government got right but I agree Id rather have a tin of chick peas any day over a fray bentos pie! Im tempted by the mushroom soup mac n cheese because although I love cooking Im lazy about making a cheese sauce for some reason!

    Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      June 23, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      it actually worked quite well.

      Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      June 23, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      I think you got some other cheese too.

      Reply
  5. Anna

    June 23, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    I can’t believe there is no chocolate – surely that’s a British staple?!

    Reply
    • msmarmitelover

      June 23, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      nope. far too much fun. This week though I got a packet of hobnobs instead of digestives

      Reply
  6. Margo

    September 6, 2020 at 4:42 am

    Your box would suit most people and the government is to be congratulated .

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

Subscribe to my mailing list

msmarmitelover

Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here h Midsummer supperclub 17th June book tickets here https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsummer-supper-club-tickets-june-17th at London’s pioneering supper club. Tickets £50 BYO. Scandinavian inspired summery food. #supperclub #msmarmitelover #midsummer #northwestlondon #londonevents #popups
Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy cir Tina sweating through a gig at Brixton academy circa 1987 pic: kerstin Rodgers #rip #tinaturner #rockphotographer #kerstinrodgers #teenagephotographer
Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on Attended an incredible talk with @frenchpete_1 on war photography in the Ukraine . Go to the exhibition @thebppa @thebargehouse in SE1 last few days 
Had to stop filming cos I was told off. The photographers would be less forthcoming if they were filmed I was told. 
Anyway @frenchpete_1 should be followed by a camera crew cos he’s a star.
For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pas For yesterdays lunch I made a blue cheese puff pastry quiche and a little one with less blue cheese & no salt for my 7 month old granddaughter. She absolutely loved it. I’m enjoying seeing her experience and explore new foods with baby led weaning. Avocado, strawberries, kiwi & buttered crumpets are a hit. Pasta less so. Who is this child? Are we even related? #babyledweaning #quiche #homemadepuffpastry
Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The natio Nice to be featured as The Great Read in The national newspaper again. These are the stories I love to do: I go off on an adventure, take my time, interview people (especially women), photograph them in their environment and create recipes on site. This story cost me a lot more than I made as I had an accident and lost my excess. My own damn fault though! Loved loved loved having a campervan. Thanks for lending me it @camperdays.international and sorry about the hole in the side.  https://www.thenational.scot/news/23505593.foraging-seaweed-western-isles/
My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @l My terrace on a sunny May morning. The builders @lk.general.building left yesterday. They’ve been working since January. I had the awning installed, the encaustic Minton tiles removed and put back with green grout. The terrace was causing damp so this had to be done. My calamondin plant is looking lovely. The benches which I repaired with hard wood & I repainted using a mix of 2 colours. The marble table I bought in Suffolk at a car boot. Everything is still dusty & I’m waiting for the window cleaner to arrive.
Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine f Last but very heartfelt thankyou to @cideriswine for their contribution of these beautiful dry ciders for the coronation street lunch. Gorgeously illustrated labels. #stcuthbertsrd #kilburn #london #cider #artisanaldrinks
When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. When it comes to vodka I much prefer potato vodka. It’s smoother. Artisanal distillery @devoncovevodka contributed some bottles to my coronation lunch which gave everyone a feeling of being at a classy party. Thanks so much. And also @rawfoodanddrink for arranging. If you want to read my blog post about how and why I organised this event, copy and paste this link: https://t.co/GWNNW2XKba #coronationstreetparty #biglunch #community #kilburn #london #forthepeoplebythepeople
I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now I’ve been a fan of @luscombedrinks for years now. They sent a selection: elderflower bubbly, st. Clements orange 🍊 Sicilian lemonade, @belvoirfarm_uk lemonade, which were all delicious and just the tickets for the fortuitous mini-heatwave that occurred on the Sunday coronation lunch. #thankyou #community #coronation #streetparty #biglunch
Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! T Our street party. Double page spread in The Sun! Tiny bit in the guardian. Decent pic in the Mail and The Star credit @asproider #coronationlunch #kilburn #stcuthbertsrd #kingscroftrd #fordwychrd #templarhouse
My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, s My coronation quiche with Broad beans, tarragon, spinach, cheddar. I used crème fraiche and blind baked puff pastry shells. I was up at 11 last night making these for todays street party, which featured in the mail, telegraph, mirror, metro courtesy of photographer Gavin Rodgers @asproider
Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebr Seaweed foraging at Spring tides in the Outer Hebrides with @outerhebrideanforager Fi bird. She’s cutting sea spaghetti. I drove my campervan @camperdays.international from london to the Hebrides- using my gas stove to cook foraged and local ingredients. A real food safari. With the sea spaghetti I made a sea spag vongole with giant parlourdes picked up from the sand at the same time. Great fun, beautiful weather and, the day of the full moon, a wonderfully low tide. This was on south Uist.
More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-ba More flavours, the flavour thesaurus is a plant-based version of the original. Beautifully constructed, designed and written by @nikisegnit it’s vegetarian rather than vegan but recommended for both. She widens the sensory vocabulary around plant flavours in this book- encouraging new delicious sounding combinations. Now she includes new categories such as flower & meadow, caramel roasted, zesty roost- just the words make me salivate. #foodbooks #bookstagram #newbooks
Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainman Yesterday I attended @marmaladeawards @dalemainmansion I found out so much about marmalade. I’m going to make it this winter. I found out the worlds best maker is Japanese, in fact I was most impressed by the Japanese marmalades in general. Everyone wore orange. I must have tasted 50 marmalades. I met Paddington’s sister, karen jankel who is michael bond’s daughter, born in the same year as Paddington. She gave a charming talk on Paddington, mentioning how the queen insisted on having real marmalade sandwiches in her @launerlondonofficial handbag during the shoot. The house itself is Tudor and Georgian. I stayed in my campervan from @camperdays.international in the car park, cosy in the rain. Another freewheeling adventure. #yorkshire #marmalade #travel #food #ontheroad #campervan
I had a piece in @thetimes on Sunday about being a I had a piece in @thetimes on Sunday about being a vegetarian rather than a vegan. How I still need butter. And how restaurants & plane meals are now vegan rather than vegetarian. But, there are still more the double amount of vegetarians as vegans in the UK. I’ve written a vegan cookbook V is for vegan (link in bio) and am a big fan of vegan foods. I’ve not eaten meat for over 40 years. This is a sustainable diet, in terms of longevity. Vegans that I knew from the early noughties have reverted to meat eating. #newpuritanism? #vegetarian #vegan #foodwriter
Scrambled croft eggs (bright yellow yolks) with a Scrambled croft eggs (bright yellow yolks) with a seaweed that tastes just like truffle. Just done a little kelp foraging at low tide with @thetempleharris’ Amanda Saurin. Isle of Harris. Turquoise sea, white sand, cloud hovering just above. @camperdays.international @roosterpr
I went to Wembley in north west london to talk to I went to Wembley in north west london to talk to Sophie of @tobia.teff she uses the iron-rich, gluten free teff grain from her homeland Ethiopia. She showed me how to make injera, the Ethiopian flatbread which is fermented. She also talked about the coffee ceremony, 3 cups, which they pair with toasted barley or, currently, popcorn! I’d love to visit Ethiopia and find out more about their ancient food culture, history, 3.5k year old monarchy and religions.
Doing a spring budget recipe cooking demo for @bre Doing a spring budget recipe cooking demo for @brentcouncil Willesden library. I’ve been doing this a few times a year for the last few years. Wouldn’t it be great if they had a kitchen set up permanently. Libraries are community centres and could be used to teach how to cook from scratch.
Mother’s Day flowers from @siennamarla who is ex Mother’s Day flowers from @siennamarla who is experiencing her own first Mother’s Day with Ophelia. I’m still living in chaos & work was slow yesterday due to rain. Only another month…
Last week I did a wild foraging walk with @luciath Last week I did a wild foraging walk with @luciathewildkitchen in Kent @kent_downs_aonb just outside Canterbury. I’m going to help out during her May wild asparagus workshop. This chef lived in France, is a brilliant forager and cook. Her campfire meal of lentils, wild garlic raitha and a dukkah of alexanders, Parmesan was genuinely delicious not worthy like so much foraged food.
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Archives

Copyright © 2023 msmarmitelover