FOOD SHOPPING

During the first half of the eighteenth century the number of food shops in towns and cities had increased greatly as gradually a more varied range of foods became available for sale. According to Maitland (History and Survey of London, published 1756) nearly a quarter of all the houses in London in 1732 were shops or taverns selling some form of food or drink. This is remarkable, particularly as he was not including shops selling anything other than food. A quarter of all the houses in London! It is hardly surprising that Napoleon made his all too frequently quoted remark. London and most larger towns of the country had a multitude of very small shops, each concerned with only a small range of products. This position remained with little change until the beginning of the nineteenth century.