FROM MID - 1916 ONWARDS the government faced increasing problems providing food for Britain. Already stretched by the demands of war, the British were further rocked by the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare by Germany on 1 February 1917. From February to June 1917, 85,000 tons of sugar were lost, reducing the nation at one stage to merely four days’ supply with meat imports also badly affected. Of all participant countries in the war Britain was the most dependent on imported food with over 60% of its total food supply coming from overseas. Attention was naturally focused on possible foodstuff savings that could be made on the home front. The continued use of wheat, barley and sugar in the production of alcoholic drinks was criticised. Sir Alfred Booth, Chairman of the Cunard Company, remarked: ‘if we are to maintain our armies in the field we shall before very long have to choose between bread and beer.’ Essentially, the submarine action turned the drink problem into a drink and food problem. Another factor in precipitating this course of action was increasing criticism from the US and Canada, two countries in which anti-drink agitation was rising, concerning the justification of supplying Britain with foodstuffs when some of Britain's domestic supply was being used in the production of alcohol. Their support came with conditions attached.

In April 1916 the government passed the Output of Beer Restriction Act which limited the aggregate quantity of beer brewed in Great Britain to twenty-six million barrels for the year ending March 1917. This was a reduction of four million gallons on the previous year's output, and ten million gallons, or 28 per cent less, than that of 1914. It is testament to the patriotism of the trade that such a cut was accepted, especially given that further reductions were likely. This was the first act in an extensive period of reform concerning the use of foodstuffs in the production of drink.

For some these reforms did not go far enough. As The Spectator opined: