VE Day: Three Spam recipes, as sales shoot up ahead of the celebrations

“As the 80th VE Day anniversary approaches, we’re seeing customers connect with the past by turning to the comforting familiarity of foods popular in wartime Britain,” said Imogen Livesley, an archivist at Waitrose. “It seems the taste of history is proving a popular ingredient in commemorating the 80th anniversary, with classics like fish and chips, Spam and bread and ­butter pudding underscoring the emotional connection to this era, with food acting as a powerful vehicle for remembrance and commemoration.” Once hailed as a “wartime delicacy” by Margaret Thatcher, Spam was first introduced to the market in 1937 and swiftly became a key part of the diet for many Allied troops during the war, owing to its cheap cost and ease of transportation.