General Chat

Not many people liked school dinners when I was a kid, but I loved them. There were so many, to many to mention but Spam Fritters was one of my favorites yummy!!

Can't say that I really have any fond memories of school dinners! I remember developing a distaste for ravioli that still exists today. Also remember tapioca and horrible pink custard, ughh.... My brother also remembers having some yukky dessert dubbed "Sand In The Red Sea"

Well there was a war on when I was getting school dinners,in Scotland. and I never gave them a lot of thought, but I cant remember hating them. at that time I think we were getting more than the people on ration books.

I loved chocolate sponge with chocolate sauce and Butterscotch tart. Lynne

Those were the best of times, those were the worst of times. Boiled mutton stew followed by Spotted Dick and custard, all served up on those nasty mellamine (plastic) plates. The best school dinner was served on the day we sat our 11 Plus exams. Fish and chips with mushy peas. Yummy.

Me too Lynne! I have a recipe for school butterscotch tart that was given to me by a dinner lady. Also the whirly biscuits with icing sugar on, like big Viennese whirls - yummy mmmmmmmmm! Sue

Manchester Tart, I still make it sometimes, brings back the good memories and my grown up children love it. If you don't recognise the name..... Pastry base, layer of jam, custard poured on and allowed to go cold, any 'sprinkles' that you like on the top, mine like coconut or chocolate

I enjoyed school lunches 'cause i would go on the last sitting and was then able to have two lots of pudding. thank goodness for school lunches any way 'cause i didn't have to eat veggies chris

I hated school dinners. The smell used to make me feel sick and even now, 60 years later,the thought of them makes me ill. Sylvia in Perth

Roast beef, 2 dollops of instant mash, white cabbage & gravy Mmmm ! Choccy pud & choccy custard Mmmm ! Last lot in could have seconds MMMMmmmmm!! WhenI left in 1982, dinners were only 25p a day ! Elaine x

I can't say that I liked the school dinners, the mustard was always lumping and I now can't stand the sight of mustard due to school dinners.

Personally I hated them and always had packed lunch. however my five year old neice comes home with tales of eating fish fingers and salad! It must have improved. Naomi

Well, I think I must have been lucky, as our school dinners were fantastic, but that was in the 1950's/60's. We NEVER had chips, although we would have battered fried fish with mushy peas and mashed potatoes. We had 2 salads a week in the summer and 1 salad a week in the winter. Spam fritters were a favourite, as was Hungarian Goulash with dumplings, and Liver, bacon and onions. My friend and I loved liver, and we were the only two on a table of 8, so we would swap our bacon for their liver! We had some lovely puddings. Two I remember with affection was a ginger sponge served with a thin clear sauce that we called 'jungle juice'! I think it was diluted golden syrup. The other one was a chocolate sponge, which was served with a green mint sauce, and believe me ..... it was delicious.

a local lady cooked our dinners stew and dumpling melted in your mouth and the onion sauce yum we were lucky only a small village school so good home style meals

I hated, hated, hated school dinners - like someone else said, the smell of the dining hall made me feel - sick! Everyone seems to have had much better culinery experiences. Back in the 50's I was made to sit right through the dinner hour, all my friends long gone, until I eat the stuff up. I loathed my lack of courage to push the plate off the edge of the table and say it was an accident, especially when some well meaning soul had poured fresh custard over it to make it more appetising, (well, on top of mashed potato! ... always made with water and seperately purchased lumps). Joke is that, now, as a teacher, I still think the meals are stodgey but can't keep my fingers off the chips! Never had those in my day. Worst memories - skin topped custard and semolina with jam in the middle and .. I could go on.

Chocolate Jaffa Tart ............ yes pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee! Does anyone else remember this? It was really yummy and I'd love to taste it again!!! It was pastry at the bottom, an orangey sort of cream (a bit like orange curd but almost set) and then melted chocolate left to set hard on top! When they put the hot custard on top the chocolate started to melt! oooooooooohhhhhh!! My mouths watering at the thought!!! If anyone knows how to make this I'll pay for the recipe!! Has the butterscotch tart recipe gone on the other thread yet!? Just off to check! lol Eleanor xxxx

Gypsy tart was my favourite. I remember there being sixpences in the pudding at Christmas. Hated swede, turnip, parsnip, spinach...now I like them all! I got free school dinners because my mum was on her own, but I recall that in 1973 they still only cost 14p a day. Patsy

Gypsy tart sounds interesting - what is it?

Patsy Was the gypsy tart, the one made from evaporated milk and soft brown sugar baked in a pastry case? Anne

Brings back lovely memories,the dessert was a lovely spicy cake with custard,my 9year old granddaughter is here with me and her favourite is chocolate cake,with strawberry custard. But most of all I remember the dinner ladies,with hairy chins.Ugh. trish