Catalogue description Ministry of Food: Establishment Department: British Food Mission, Washington

Food missions were established by the ministry in North America during the Second World War for the purposes of negotiating contracts for the supply of food and ensuring, as far as practicable, their fulfilment, and keeping the ministry informed as to the possibility of new sources of supply. That in Washington was established after the passing of the Lend Lease Act early in 1941. A year later an office was set up in Ottawa as an integral part of the Food Mission in Washington, which then became the British Food Mission for North America.

A separate mission for Canada was formed in 1947. Under its control was the United Kingdom Payments Office in Ottawa, transferred from the control of the Admiralty to that of the Ministry of Food on 1 August 1946, through which payments were made and sums collected on behalf of British government departments and certain other bodies. The Food Mission in the United States was absorbed on 1 April 1948 into a British Supply Office, which was set up under Treasury control to deal with problems arising from the European recovery programme. This in turn was amalgamated on 1 January 1949 with the United Kingdom Treasury Delegation to form the United Kingdom Treasury and Supply Delegation in the United States. The Canadian Mission remained in being until 30 October 1953 when it closed because bulk buying of foodstuffs had virtually ceased.