It is unusual to find horse meat in the supermarket alongside chicken or beef, yet horse meat is a traditional food for many cultures. "Belgians and Horse Meat", an article in The Times newspaper, provides insight to how horse meat was perceived in early 20th century Britain. During World War I, Belgians fled to Britain and supported themselves through work. They managed shops that sold horse meat to other refugees, which allowed them to cook traditional Belgian food and build communities around their culture. While the sale of horse meat was legal in Britain, it had declined in popularity. The article is historically significant by providing information about food that was available during World War I and the daily life of the Belgian refugees.
The Times is a daily newspaper published in London. It was founded in 1785 and has since become one of Britain's most influential newspapers. In 1915, The Times published an article titled "Belgians and Horse Meat: New Shops Opened in Scotland." The article describes Belgian refugees opening three horse meat shops in Glasgow to sell
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The article shows that the refugees were productive in their adopted country by starting businesses. The horse meat shops were aimed at fellow refugees, insinuating that other refugees were also working and receiving wages to spend. It shows that the Belgians had formed a community through which they continued to prepare and eat traditional Belgian food. The prices of horse meat are provided, which could be compared with prices of other meat at the time to establish its value. The article also discusses how, despite being legal, the sale of horse meat was not common during the early 20th century in Britain. The opening of horse meat shops in Scotland was unusual enough to lead to a newspaper article, and the sale of horse meat in London was limited to the poorest