talkingpiffle: “‘Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, my lord, if you will kindly e
talkingpiffle: “‘Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, my lord, if you will kindly excuse tea for this morning, the local grocer not being acquainted with coffee except in bottles.’“–Bunter in Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers, Chapter IV. “Household Gods,” 1937.“Camp” brand coffee was the only instant coffee available in England before World War II. Manufactured in Glasgow beginning in 1876 by R. Paterson & Sons, it contains 4% coffee, 26% chicory essence, and plenty of sugar. The resulting syrupy substance was mixed with warm milk to produce something vaguely resembling coffee. (One understands why Bunter opted for tea instead.) It is still being produced, although the label has changed, very belatedly–as of 2006, the Gordon Highlander and the Sikh are seated side by side, drinking their ersatz coffee together. (x)Images: 1930s-era bottle with original label; Pym’s-esque black-and-white advertisement, pre-1950s; thematically appropriate pre-1918 color postcard -- source link