Batger and Co Confectionery follows along with the theme of rationing, explored previously in the walking tour. The confectionery manufacturer was established in East London in 1748 by Miss Elizabeth Batger. The Batger family were leading sugar refiners in Britain and by the early-twentieth century became the largest jam and confectionery makers.[1] Batger's had multiple factories, but the main factory was located on Broad Street in Stephany, which manufactured jams, bakery assortments, sweets and toffee. However, their most popular products were Chinese figs, Silmos Lollies, Jersey Caramels and John Peel marmalade, which were marketed to the public using imaginative and entertaining advertisements.[2]

During the First World War, Batger's supplied the British army with jam. However, by 1940 the Stephany factory had been destroyed by bombing, forcing the company to move outside London's city core to 44 Clapham, Common South Side.[3] The Clapham factory was known for producing Harlequin Christmas Crackers and cake decorations. In 1970, the company was acquired by Needlers Ltd., a confectionery manufacturer, which led to the closing of the Clapham factory a year later. Needlers Ltd. was later sold to Ashbury Confectionery Ltd. The last original Batger products were discontinued in 2000.[4] For convenience, this tour will visit the Batger factory that was located at 566 Cable Street, which is currently an arts studio.[5]

Batger and Co Confectionery is a significant historical company as they maintained operations during the sweets and chocolate ration in Britain, which began in 1942.[6] Although children received ration books for sweets, they often acquired chocolate and candy in other ways that did not require using a coupon. For example, children often acquired off-ration chocolate and chewing gum from American servicemen stationed in Britain.[7] Additionally, Batger's factory in Clapham was located next to Henry Thornton School. During the sweets ration, male children and youth frequently snuck over to the factory to check if trays awaiting cleaning had any toffee remains left. In celebration of the end of the sweet ration, Batger handed out candy to London children at their Clapham factory in February 1953.[8]

[1] Mark Matlach, "Batger & Co. Ltd," Commercial Overprint Society of Great Britain, October 27, 2013, accessed March 15, 2019, http://cosgb.blogspot.com/2013/10/batger-co-ltd.html and Alyson Wilson, "Making Sweets in Clapham," The Clapham Society, September 15, 2017, accessed March 16, 2019, https://claphamsociety.com/Articles/article30-making-sweets.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] Alyson Wilson, "Making Sweets in Clapham."

[4] Ibid. and Mark Matlach, "Batger & Co. Ltd."

[5] Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, "Batger and Co," March 29, 2012, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Batger_and_Co

[6] Chas Early, "February 5, 1953: Children rejoice as sweet rationing ends in Britain," BT News, January 28, 2019, accessed March 16, 2019, https://home.bt.com/news/on-this-day/february-5-1953-children-rejoice-as-sweet-rationing-ends-in-britain-11363959721584

[7] IWM Staff, "Growing Up in the Second World War," Imperial War Museum, February 1, 2018, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war

[8] Alyson Wilson, "Making Sweets in Clapham."

In Britain, the ration of sweets did not cease until almost ten years after the Second World War had ended. The purpose of sweet rationing, along with all rationed food and clothing items was to eliminate "hoarding, profiteering, and rampant inflation," that had occurred in the First World War.[1] However, sweet rations did not remain constant throughout the war, sometimes fluctuating in ounces. For example, in August 1942, chocolate and sweet rations increased from two to three ounces.[2] However, the Ministry of Food maintained that "'[t]he present ample supple of fancy cakes…are a temptation to idle eating, when only the legitimate eating is necessary to keep us fighting fit."[3] Thus, Britain's were encouraged and enforced through rationing to reduce the amount of sweets they consumed in order to win the war against Germany.

For children, the lack of sweets made their diet very bland during the Second World War. Joan Styan, who was a child living in London during the war recalled the sweet ration as "a real blow to us children."[4] Yet even after the war, the Ministry of Food did not find it imminent to deration sweets.[5] In a Times article in 1951, the secretary of the National
Union of Retail Confectioners replied to the Minister of Food's laid-back response to derationing, stating "'[w]e want derationing as quickly as possible, but our policy has been to ask for gradual increases in ration rather than complete derationing…'"[6] However, the events that occurred on the day sweets were derationed truly highlights the impact the ration had on children.

On February 5, 1953, children rushed to the nearest sweet-shop. The most popular items sold on the day of deration were toffee apples. However, nougat and liquorice disappeared from sweet-stores just as quickly.[7] On the outskirts of London in Clapham Common, a confectionery manufacturer "gave 800 children 150lbs of lollipops during their midday break from school," while another London factory handed out free candy to all that came.[8] Yet, it was not only children who participated in the sugar frenzy, adults joined in as well. Men in the City of London waited in queues on their lunch to purchase sweets for themselves and their families.[9] Ultimately, the sweet ration in Britain during and after the war, greatly impacted the lives of many, especially children. Children often found ways to acquire extra sweets off-ration. In addition, confectioners did not passively wait for the government to deration, but actively voiced their concerns, illustrating not all wartime policies were universally agreed upon in Britain.

[1] Jose Harris, "Great Britain: The People's War?" in Allies at War: The Soviet, American and

British Experience, 1939-1945, edited by David Reynolds, Warren F. Kimball and A.O. Chubarian (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1994), 239.

[2] From Our Food Correspondent, "Bigger Sweet Ration," Times (London, England), August 12, 1942, accessed March 15, 2018, http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/9UtTbX

[3] Ibid.

[4] Joan Styan, "Wartime Hardships: Rationing in London," British Broadcasting Corporation, June 17, 2004, accessed March 16, 2019, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/98/a2756298.shtml

[5] "Sweets Inquiry," Times (London, England), October 17, 1951, accessed March 15, 2019, http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/9Uord8

[6] Ibid.

[7] British Broadcasting Corporation, "1953: Sweet rationing ends in Britain," accessed March 16, 2019, http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/5/newsid_2737000/2737731.stm

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

Primary Sources:

From Our Food Correspondent. "Bigger Sweet Ration." Times (London, England), August 12, 1942. Accessed March 15, 2018. http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/9UtTbX

"Sweets Inquiry." Times (London, England), October 17, 1951. Accessed March 15, 2019. http://tinyurl.galegroup.com/tinyurl/9Uord8

Secondary Sources:

British Broadcasting Corporation. "1953: Sweet rationing ends in Britain." Accessed March 16, 2019. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/5/newsid_2737000/2737731.stm

Harris, Jose. "Great Britain: The People's War?" In Allies at War: The Soviet, American and

British Experience, 1939-1945. Edited by David Reynolds, Warren F. Kimball and A.O. Chubarian, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1994.

Early, Chas. "February 5, 1953: Children rejoice as sweet rationing ends in Britain." BT News. January 28, 2019. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://home.bt.com/news/on-this-day/february-5-1953-children-rejoice-as-sweet-rationing-ends-in-britain-11363959721584

Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. "Batger and Co." March 29, 2012. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Batger_and_Co

IWM Staff. "Growing Up in the Second World War." Imperial War Museum. February 1, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/growing-up-in-the-second-world-war

Matlach, Mark. "Batger & Co. Ltd." Commercial Overprint Society of Great Britain. October 27, 2013. Accessed March 15, 2019. http://cosgb.blogspot.com/2013/10/batger-co-ltd.html

Styan, Joan. "Wartime Hardships: Rationing in London." British Broadcasting Corporation. June 17, 2004. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/98/a2756298.shtml

Wilson, Alyson. "Making Sweets in Clapham." The Clapham Society. September 15, 2017. Accessed March 16, 2019. https://claphamsociety.com/Articles/article30-making-sweets.html