• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

British Restaurants

re resturants

DAV19390. hello. I can remember mcnabs,but they was in station rd stechford,the depot was in granby ave kitts green.As you say yum yum,ice cream. peter martin
 
Dav19390. yes you are correct there was a restaurant in ward end park it was run by the city of Birmingham restaurants dept as was the one in cannon hill park
 
british Restaurant

I used to visit the one in Northfield, It was next to the cinema, on Bristol road South, my Mum worked, so during school holidays i was given a shilling and told to have my dinner there. I did cheat sometimes, had bread and jam and went to the pictures instead, musicals, Haaaaaaa ;)
 
There was a British Restaurant on Bristol Rd in Selly Oak, if going towards Town it was on the left somewhere by the bridge that goes over the canal.

I used to go in when I was very young up till 1955 when we left Selly Oak,
I always used to run around looking for one of the wooden chairs to sit on that had a pattern of holes in the seat!
 
Here's a picture of The Vittoria Restaurant in Ferdrick Street around 1960 it was prieviously a British Restaurant.
 
There was a BR on the land next to Hughes' biscuit factory in Bordesley Green Road. After eating lunch there, local workers played football on the large area of land behind it. I was always knackered in the afternoons after running around for an hour playing footie! :) It was demolished early 60's and the land became a car park for Morris Commercial employees.

There was also a BR on Aston Road North, near Sutton Street.
 
What is the story behind British Restaurants. Were they a wartime measure to provide a reasonably priced meal with food that was available?
 
Found this on the web......


The Ministry of Food had begun as a department of the Board of Trade just before the war, and was later absorbed into the Ministry of Agriculture. Its records therefore have the prefix MAF. They reveal the great spread of its responsibilities, working through Food Control Committees for local authority areas. The Supply Departments, covered generally in MAF 67, were subdivided by type, the Cereals Group in MAF 84, the Dairy Produce and Fats Group in MAF 85, the Meat and Livestock Group in MAF 88, and others. MAF 99, the records of the Distribution Group, concern emergency services, rationing and communal feeding arrangements. The Food Standards Group, in MAF 101, was concerned with standards and labelling and the distribution of welfare foods such as cod liver oil and orange juice. The Wartime Meals Division encouraged the setting up of industrial canteens, and lent local authorities money to start British Restaurants for the public. British Restaurants were run by local authorities, who set them up in a variety of different premises such as schools and church halls. British Restaurants were open to all, but mainly served office and industrial workers
.
 
During the school holidays, and when my dad was working overseas, my mom often took us to the British Restaurant in Birchfield Road, as she reckoned it was cheaper than cooking at home. As I recall, the food was edible if not quite gourmet standard, but I could never bring myself to attempting the custard, thank you very much!

Am I correct in saying that the Birchfield Road restaurant became Birchfield Public Library in the early 1950's?
 
I think the Library was next to the British Restaurant Big Gee. I used the library as a child in the 40's, and then when I worked at the ICI in the 50's we used to go into the BR as we called it after an evening at the ICI Youth Club or the Sports Pavillion. It was the only place open after 10pm, and we would sit with cups of coffee, sometimes shared if we were short of cash.:)
 
Di's right, the BR was next to Birchfield Library. I used to go to the restaurant with my dad in the fifties. On Saturday mornings, after the sixpenny crush at the Odeon, I'd walk to the library and station myself at the desk, waiting for any Enid Blyton books that I hadn't already read to be returned so I could grab 'em!
 
Re: "British Resturants"

The church hall in STIRCHLEY was our B.R. across from the British oak pub!
 
Re: "British Resturants"

The B/Restaurant in the Upper Priory was run by Kunzles and it was in an old priory, it was still open in the early 1950`s, here was also one in Bournville close to Cadburys Factory.
 
Re: "British Resturants"

Yes You ARE Right Kunzles Was Around For ManyYears And There Service Was Excellent ,And Carried OnAnd On Long After The Joe Lyons Empire Finished
I Don,y ThinkThereAre ManyChains Left Now ,There Are Lots Of Coffee Shops Opening Up Now Every Where But The Services And Attidtude Are Terrible , I Don,nt
Know Of Any Where You CanGet A Good Well Mannord Greeting A nd A Certainly Decent Cup Of Coffee I Certainly Don,t Rate Marks And Spencers / Woolworths .
 
Re: "British Resturants"

There was one down a side street leading towards New Street Station. Frequented by mostly solicitors barristers and business men. My sister and i used to go there, the food was good and not expensive, as one would expect it to be.
 
Re: "British Resturants"

I think the one on Stratford Rd was roighly opposite the Mermaid and if I remember rightly you had to climb sime stairs as you entered the door. There was another one on Gooch St, Highgate if my memory serves me right.

I also seem to remember one in town on High St or it may have been Dale End.

Here are two interesting sites on the subject of British Restaurants.

https://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/War/londonRation.html


https://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Museum%20Docs/foodrationpage9.htm

pmc1947

Is it possible some of the British Restaurants carried on as Birmingham Civic Restaurants because I recall one opposite the Mermaid that was the Warwick Restaurant with stairs inside to it.
 
Re: "British Resturants"

Ref; British restaurants.
I well remember the one in Moseley Village, you could get a very good basic meal and a pudding for not much more than 2 shillings, (24 old pence). even in the early 1950's.
I loved the mince also the bread and butter pudding!.
Barney Martin
 
Re: "British Resturants"

dony know if this place counts as a British resturant but you got a good english dinner there the Civil servants resturaunt in New street and most of em used luncheon vouchers :)although it was later? late 50s early 60s:)
 
Back
Top