Man in the kitchen

In 1961 man was in the kitchen at the Good Housekeeping Institute. And doesn’t he look sharp. Not a spot of grease on that pullover.

This guide is printed on magazine paper and is nothing elaborate. But it is oozing meaty content. ‘A practical guide for any man who cooks for himself – whether from necessity or from choice.’ Subjects covered had robust titles like: ‘the tools for the job’, ‘man-sized meals’, ‘bachelor entertaining’ and ‘out of the tin or deep-freeze.’

As the guide was a co-production with the Gas Council, the lovely Mr Therm character is illustrated on most pages; holding the menu, popping out of a tin and holding serving dishes.

The photos, most in full colour, are lovely and credited to one Kenneth Swain, who seems to have been quite the food photographer. Front and back cover and one page inside (seen below eating fried breakfast on his Poole pottery) show us sharp dressed young men cooking and eating most earnestly. The double page centre spread, on the other hand, is a full colour picture of a dish of ham and pineapple coming out of the cooker.

And in case we imagined otherwise, Man in the Kitchen reminds us man meals in 1961 were meat based; morning, noon and night.