A RESTAURATEUR is offering a wartime at home menu to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

And diners arriving in period attire will be sold beer at 1918 prices – a shilling (12p) for a bottle of Heineken.

While soldiers in the trenches survived on Army-issue grub, those left at home were, from 1918, issued ration books, limiting their purchases of sugar, meat, flour, butter, margarine and milk.

That forced those looking for a little extra to grow their own or scavenge from the countryside.

Rabbit became a popular dish, plus oyster and honey – used as alternative to sugar in tea.

Despite the shortages, some at home could still afford to eat out – forcing restaurants to show a little creativity with the foodstuffs to hand.

It’s that type of menu that Trevor Davis, landlord of The Court Inn, Durham City, is seeking to replicate in his World War One 100 Years Commemoration Menu.

For £19.14 per person, diners will get a five-course feast of beef tea, seared mullet, char grilled venison or rabbit and oyster, strawberry and honey pudding and English tea with honey.

“I heard a talk about the DLI (Durham Light Infantry) and how many men they lost in the first few weeks of the war,” Mr Davis said.

“It got me interested. There had been a lot said about food at the front, but nothing about what people were eating at home.

“1914 was a very wealthy time – people were having dinner parties with champagne.

“By 1918, food was rationed but some people still had money. So I’ve tried to recreate what would have been on the menu in 1918.”

To add to the wartime feel, the food will be cooked using traditional methods and served on traditional slates and glass plates, the restaurant windows will be blacked out, waiting staff will dress in period costume and wartime songs will play in the background.

The menu will be on offer from Monday, September 8, to Sunday, September 14, from 7pm each night. Bookings are being taken now.

The beer offer is limited to three bottles per person.

For more information, visit courtinn.co.uk or call 0191-384-7350.