“New World” regulo-controlled gas cooker. Instruction panel for gas cooker, 1945

This metal instruction sheet in enameled yellow would have come with the new cooker in around 1945. It was printed in black with notes about the operation of this model. It also includes recipes for all the classic British dishes - Yorkshire pudding, Lancashire Hot Pot and baked custards. In the Second World War cooking was made difficult by the rationing of most foodstuffs. Housewives had to be creative with their ingredients, which included dried egg powder and dried milk. In the 1920s Radiation Limited was marketing cookers with their thermostat called the 'regulo', which controlled temperature inside the oven. This meant cooking could become a more exact science.