Covid And Fast Food

I often wonder what the generations who lived through the last two world wars would think of the current one. Perhaps people nowadays would be just as brave and innovative as their near ancestors; or perhaps they've just gone too soft. Here is an example worth thinking about.

Food during the wars was strictly rationed which meant that diet had to be simpler but the overall results was that many people in Britain emerged fitter than before when peace time finally arrived. Since then, though, a passion for fast food has swept the nation. Initially this was perhaps understandable since many people have busy lives and popping out to a takeaway for a quick burger or pizza was an accepted way of grabbing a quick meal. The Covid epidemic however showed a disturbing trend.

For the first time in centuries a lockdown was imposed on the country. People were only allowed to leave home for absolutely essential purposes and fast-food outlets were obliged to cease serving people in their shops, although they were allowed to deliver food instead. This could have resulted in most people cooking their beefburgers and pieces themselves; after all many of them were on furlough with plenty of time on their hands - but it didn't - and Britain's roads were soon busy with thousands of people on scooters, complete with new takeaway food delivery insurance policies, carrying takeaway food to the masses. Food deliveries very quickly became a major industry worth several billions of pounds a year!

All things come to an end and Covid is very much still with us but deliveries of fast food not only failed to fall, but they have actually increased! The British public not only cannot cook their own food, but they can't even be bothered to go and collect it either.

These delivery drivers are predominantly male and under the age of 25. There was an age when most young men wanted to be engineers, train drivers or members of a profession; a huge number of them now drive around in the evenings carrying beefburgers or curries. Whether or not this is their choice are a result of the so-called 'gig economy' is a moot point.