10 food staples of 1970s dining that quietly slipped off the menu – and whether you can still buy them today

If Friday night fish and chips weren’t your thing, a Vesta curry promised a fun “fakeaway” experience that made you feel like a seasoned food connoisseur. These instant curries came as dried packet meals that rehydrated into hearty meals when they were heated up. 

If you’re after a nostalgic culinary experience, you can still purchase some Vesta products. You won’t find them in supermarkets today, but a limited selection of classic flavours like the Beef Curry and Chow Mein can be purchased online.

Nothing said continental sophistication quite like wheeling out a Black Forest Gâteau at a dinner party in the '70s. With its layers of chocolate sponge, whipped cream, cherries, and a (generous) splash of kirsch, it became the go-to dessert for anyone hoping to impress guests – or just feel a bit fancy after a Sunday roast. A German classic, it was adopted by British supermarkets and frozen food brands, and rivalled the likes of trifle and jelly.

While the Black Forest Gâteau isn’t as fashionable as it once was, you can still find updated versions in most supermarkets, especially around Christmas time – though they rarely pack the same nostalgic punch as the towering creations of the '70s.

The no-frills cousin to the Black Forest Gâteau, the Arctic Roll combined sponge cake, a smear of jam, and a thick layer of vanilla ice cream, all rolled into a log. It was a staple of midweek puddings and birthday teas, especially if you’d just scored a freezer and wanted to show it off. It also didn’t require all the washing up usually associated with baking. 

After slipping off the radar in the '90s, the iconic frozen dessert was briefly relaunched in 2008, but unfortunately it didn’t stick, maybe Colin the Caterpillar and his imitators have a monopoly on the log-shaped dessert category. Though there are still whispers on the internet that the odd one pops up at a local Morrisons, it’s unfortunately not a regular fixture anywhere.

Spam fritters were a wartime rationing staple that clung on well into the '70s – especially in school canteens and chip shops. Thick slices of tinned Spam were deep fried until crispy and golden, creating a cheap and ultra-filling meal – especially when combined with chips and peas in a primary school dining hall.

While Spam itself is still alive and well in tins on supermarket shelves, the battered version has largely disappeared from mainstream menus. A few retro cafés and chip shops might serve them as a novelty, but for most, Spam Fritters remain a curious relic of Britain’s postwar palate.

If you could actually open the tin (they were known for being borderline resistant to tin openers), Fray Bentos pies were a cupboard classic that became a weeknight dinner in mere minutes. The instant pies, with puff pastry and a meat filling – Steak & Kidney was a bestseller – were hot and hearty, and most importantly, didn’t require too much faff.

You can still find Fray Bentos pies in most supermarkets today, along with their array of microwave pouch meals and canned soups. If you’re looking for something to watch while eating, the Good Morning Britain hosts had a bash at opening them in 2018 – with predictably chaotic results.

A classic dinner party entrée and favoured dish of businessmen in sitcoms, the prawn cocktail was the ultimate symbol of '70s dining elegance. Served in a tall glass, it featured a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce topped with cold prawns and a dollop of Marie Rose sauce – a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. Although many households took pride in assembling their own, you could also grab a ready-made tub at the store.

While it’s no longer the height of sophistication, you can still purchase this retro classic in many major supermarkets – or simply go for the crisp version, which seem to have outlasted their plated counterpart.

Beating out Wagon Wheels and Fab ice lollies to claim the title of Britain’s favourite nostalgic snack in a 2009 GMTV poll, Findus Crispy Pancakes have long made the nation flip. These thin pancakes were filled with a savoury mix of meat and the occasional veggie interloper, wrapped in a crispy breadcrumb shell. Easy to cook straight from the freezer, they were a go-to for families in the '70s and the decades that followed. 

Findus was replaced by Birds Eye in the 2010s, so you can still buy the classic crispy pancakes in most supermarkets – though they’ve had a slight ingredients update, they now also contain up to 45 per cent more filling, according to the company.

Before the era of endless cola varieties, Tab and Cresta were fizzy staples of the soft drink scene. Tab, one of the first diet sodas, gained a cult following, primarily marketed to health-conscious women with the slogan, “A Beautiful Drink for Beautiful People”. Cresta, on the other hand, was a frothy, fruit-flavoured drink that was more iconic for its polar bear mascot, who famously told us, “It’s Frothy, Man!”

There was just a bit too much competition for these beverages to live on – Cresta was discontinued in the ‘90s, while Tab held on until 2020, eventually unable to hold its own against the Diet Cokes and La Croix of the world. 

Another ‘70s dinner staple, cod in parsley sauce was the no-fuss fish dish of choice in many households, usually served with mashed potatoes and a token handful of peas. Sold frozen and boil-in-the-bag by popular freezer brands of the era, it offered up a fillet of cod smothered in a rich parsley sauce – warming and pretty nutritious, it also became a school dinner staple.

You can still buy ready-meal style versions of the classic dish, though the frozen version is now harder to find. You can also try whipping up your own at home, though it may not carry the same nostalgic comfort.

A popular dinnertime classic, this chicken dish could either be picked up from the supermarket freezer aisle or made from scratch at home. Made with chunks of chicken, mushrooms, and sometimes red pepper, it was all smothered in a thick white sauce and spooned generously over rich or mash – elegant and rich, it was easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet impressive enough for a dinner party.

You can still buy canned versions of this '70s staple online, but it’s not widely available – if you can get your hands on an old family recipe, it’s not only a fun retro recipe to try out, but also a great way to use up any leftover chicken.