50-year old meal

A Wolverhampton couple celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary by opening the tinned whole cooked chicken they received as a wedding present 50 years ago. Mr. Les Lailey, aged 73, said: "I had it with some boiled potatoes and vegetables and it went down a treat. I knew I would be fine afterwards. I have not felt funny at all.” His wife, Mrs. Beryl Lailey, was less willing to risk spoiling her golden wedding anniversary with an upset stomach, but admits to having a bite.

Although a tinned chicken now sounds a strange wedding gift, back in the day of post war rationing it was a fine delicacy – the perfect start to married life. Amazingly, the Buxted Whole Cooked Chicken in Jelly stood it`s test in time, without any added preservatives except salt and the vacuum packing.

“The chicken was tinned in 1956, and eaten yesterday. You can certainly say the can did it‘s job”, Mr. Lailey said.