Vesta Curries

Although the curry is the national dish of the British these days, back in the 1960s and 1970s when fish & chips was still Britain's favourite meal, having a curry was the height of culinary daring. It showed you had a sophisticated and worldly palette.

It wasn't particularly easy to get hold of a curry though. In fact, the only real way to sate your urge for something spicy was to pop down to your local supermarket and pick up a Vesta.

This was a DIY curry which was available in a choice of flavours - none of which were particularly hot or curry-like.

The box contained sachets of coloured powder which you prepared by tipping them into a pot of boiling hot water and stirring. The end result was a shiny brown stew that both looked and tasted like shit. And which made your kitchen stink like a Calcutta cesspit.