| Administrative History | In January 1941, during the Second World War, Aberdeen Town Council established a Special Committee with powers to make arrangements for communal feeding in the city, following directions from the Ministry of Food. The Special (Communal Feeding) Committee first met on the 23rd January 1941, and its remit was later expanded to cover emergency feeding.
The Committee took steps to set up a series of British Restaurants, cooking depots at Dunecht and Durris and a cash and carry service in Aberdeen. British Restaurants (also referred to as communal feeding centres) provided inexpensive meals to those who had been bombed out of their homes, run out of ration coupons or otherwise needed help (and from 1942 cooking for Civil Defence staff). The first British Restaurant in Aberdeen opened at Castlehill Halls in December 1941, and was named the "Castle Restaurant" (the name was selected by competition). It provided a two course meal for 9d and three courses 11d, and was intended to seat 380 at a time and serve 760 meals a day. Additional Restaurants at Torry Nursery School Child Welfare Centre (opened April 1942, served 200), Powis House (opened March 1942, closes mid 1945, serve c. 110 daily), Rubislaw Hall on Leadside Road (opened July 1942) and Middlefield School (opened August 1942, closed autumn 1945) were subsequently opened by the Committee. The Castle and Rubislaw restaurants closed in 1947.
A related School Dining Scheme was inaugrated at Middle and Middlefield Schools in March 1941 to provide communal meals in schools. This was expanded to 22 centres across the city (including Causewayend, Frederick Street, George Street, Hilton, Middle, Old Aberdeen, Powis, Rosemount, St Peter's R.C. , Torry and Woodside Schools and the Torry Nursery Schools). By Jan 1942 over 2000 children were receiving meals, with a waiting list of 1400. Meals were supplied to the schools by the by British Restaurants cooking depots.
Usingi the Castlehill barracks gymnasium as a replacement dining hall and cooking centre for Queen Street Feeding Centre discussed by the Education Committee in 1936 so the site had been in use for feeding purposes pre 1941. |