Victory Kitchens
Formerly known as ''Voluntary Soup Kitchens', Victory
kitchens (also called 'Siege kitchens') were communal feeding stations for
the civilian population.
The food consisted of poor quality 'minestra' (soup), broad beans, snails
(bebbux), carob pods (harrub), tinned fish, corned beef & goat flesh.
Families would register with a particular kitchen which would have licensed
cooks.
Closed down on 25th January 1943 in favour of rationing arrangements.
A rare sight taken in Valletta 2010. A street behind
the Castille. The owner of the building did some work
on the building by putting in some new windows & rendered the walls.
However part of the old Victory Kitchen sign was left open. Under this a big
'V' with a vertical dark blue band each side would have been seen.
References - Mobilisation in Action - A History of Civilian Defence Malta: 1940-1943 by Anthony Zarb-Dimech