“My wife’s 90-year-old grandmother, having lived through World War II, doesn’t believe in ‘best before’ dates. It made eating at her house rather exciting. Sadly she recently had to move to a home and clearing out her larder was as thrilling as being offered a snack. All the products here, going back decades, we’re, I believe, intended to be eaten.’
- James Kendall
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All images by James Kendall
And see how it never stopped her from getting to 90! We’re throwing away way too much food today.
Thrilling indeed!
………Does anyone actually eat treacle anymore? LOL
You’d fetch good money from some of these, from an antiques dealer….
Reminds me of my grandmother’s cabinets.
thrilling, intriguing… but they no longer look very edible
Made a similar discovery helping Granny clean out her kitchen. a “stubby” bottle of Strongbow that I imagine is from the 70s or 80s https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ytf8CgAEYNy_4GysALIOzg?feat=directlink
The anchovy sauce turns my stomach…
I’m proud to be a retronaut but now I realise I’m just a rookie.
If you hadn’t mentioned that she was still alive, I’d be wiling to stake money on that second-to-last picture being Cause Of Death.
Instead, I guess she just subjected her immune system to some kind of insane Thunderdome in which only the very strongest white blood cells and stomach lining could survive.
Bless your grandmother. Bless her iron intestines, her chrome kidneys, her dolomite dentures, and her clear disregard for food safety. It’s refreshing to see someone who gives that little of a damn about what the Man says to eat and what to throw out.
This collection of actual products from decades past proves that humans are indeed an evolving species
@ adler & Senga
I have to come to the defence of Watkins’s anchovy sauce! Though it has a Victorian label design, it is actually a contemporary product available in all UK supermarkets, (and online internationally), and is much liked, not just by me, but also by Simon Hopkinson, one of the finest (if not the finest) of contemporary UK food writers. They also make a delicious mushroom ketchup. Every kitchen store cupboard should have both of them.
Mmmm, anchovy sauce is lovely! Just really really salty… er, sauce! Anchovy paste too, really nice on toast!
I feel like Fry in Futurama where he’s extolling the virtues of anchovies (they’re extinct in Futurama!), he finds a single tin, everyone tries one, they hate them and spit them out! Must say I prefer anchovies packed in salt, as opposed to oil. I like a LOT of salt… =O)
Fascinated to see the Metercal. I remember trying to find out about it when I was writing a dissertation a few years ago after finding reference to it in a 1930s book. It was a food substitute for women who were trying to lose weight. How sad. Thank you for posting the pictures fascinating stuff.
I hope you kept these amazing things not only because of their age, but as a tribute to Grandma and her decidedly adventurous taste in food stuffs!