T here is a corner of a supermarket shelf that is for ever wartime England.
It is the corned-beef section. There you will find trapezium-shaped tins, each with a small metal key stuck to its lid or side. The label shows a slice of pinky-brown, speckled meat accompanied by a rampant lettuce leaf or, in some cases, a fried egg.
Printed in small letters alongside this not very appetising image, no matter which the brand, are the words ‘Serving suggestion’.
