Meaning of "selling war surplus groceries" in historical text

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Surplus refers to the excess goods available after meeting demand, particularly in the context of post-World War I Britain. Jack Cohen capitalized on this surplus by selling war surplus groceries, which included non-perishable items like canned foods and dried beans that were originally intended for soldiers. The war created significant food shortages, leading to rationing in 1918, which in turn resulted in the accumulation of surplus supplies. This surplus was crucial for Cohen's initial business success before the establishment of the Tesco brand in 1924, marked by his first own-brand product, a shipment of tea.
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I know that surplus is extra.

What is the meaning of it in the text below:
Jack Cohen realized in 1919 that he could profits from selling war surplus groceries and, in fact, Cohen started from a stall in East End of London. Tesco as a brand did not appear until 1924, when Cohen bought from T.E. Stockwell a shipment of tea, which was its first own-brand product.

From the document (in section 2 after the title "HISTORY OF TESCO PLT":
https://accid.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Case-Tesco-PLCformatv.pdf
 
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"War surplus groceries" would be non-perishable items that were used to feed the British soldiers during WW I. I suppose this would include various canned foods or things like dried beans and such.
 
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World War I created shortages. Britain began rationing in 1918. Rationing often results in (or indeed requires) that supplies be set aside for possible future demand. Thus the surplus in food supplies, where said surplus resulted from rationing caused by the Great War.
 

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