The 14th of November is an especially poignant date for the city of Coventry – it was on this night in 1940 that a massive Nazi bombing raid begun, causing huge devastation to the city and its residents.
This date is especially important for the history curriculum of schools in the area, with many of them putting on special lessons, theme days and projects so that the pupils can understand the importance of the date and to learn the cultural significance of it.
The war years were a time of great hardship, not only for the obvious reasons, but also in terms of diet and availability of food – with Britain under a constant naval blockade, the ability to import food was severely restricted. The Catering Academy team in the Midlands realised the role that food could play in bringing these events to life, and so put on a special day to help support the history lesson plans at a Coventry Primary School.
The display included foods that would’ve been available during the war, wartime posters encouraging people to produce their own food and also period uniforms – to turn the dining hall into a live display from the 1940s.
Another aspect of the display was a typical ration pack from the era. It’s easy for us to read about rations, but to see the small amount of food that people lived on really drives home the impact that the food restrictions must’ve had on day-to-day life.
Throughout the day, the pupils of the school came to the display with their teachers – bringing the food out from the textbook and into real life.
That day, the team also put on a themed lunch and dressed in period clothing. It was a hugely successful day, with the Head commending them on their efforts and the impact it had on the children.
We were delighted to be able to support the school’s curriculum in this way and will continue to work in partnership with our contracts up and down the country.
