[4] It was first publicised in an April 1941 article in The Times, that described the dish as economic and wholesome and gave the recipe.

[6] It was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton (1883–1964), who became Minister of Food in 1940 and who subsequently promoted the recipe.

The recipe involved dicing and cooking potatoes (or parsnips), cauliflower, carrots and possibly turnip.

The content of the pie filling could easily be altered to include whatever vegetables were in season at the time.

An editorial in The Times commented:[10] When Woolton pie was being forced on somewhat reluctant tables, Lord Woolton performed a valuable service by submitting to the flashlight camera at public luncheons while eating, with every sign of enjoyment, the dish named after him.Professor John Fuller has noted that Woolton pie and similar wartime austerity dishes "were forgotten as quickly as possible when conditions returned to normal".