At a time of soaring food prices and rising inequality, it’s striking that Britain once had a national network of public restaurants—and has almost entirely forgotten it.

During WWII, British Restaurants fed millions with good quality, affordable meals—about £1.50 in today’s money. There were over 2,000 of these state-subsidised dining rooms across the country, serving everyone, not just the poor.

This episode explores their remarkable history and enduring relevance. We speak to Professor Bryce Evans, who has written extensively on the scheme, to uncover how these restaurants functioned as joyful, universal social spaces. We then look to the present with Abigail McCall of Nourish Scotland, who is helping revive this model for the 21st century, and Jo Poulton, a sustainable agriculture specialist, on how a public food service could reshape our food system from farm to fork.