Today is International School Meals Day and people all over the world are talking about what children have for lunch. –
But we’ve also been looking a little bit closer to home and chatting to some of our teacher friends about their memories of their own school dinners, and the conversation has been decidedly… pink custard-flavoured.
We all have amusing memories of some of the weird and wonderful things we used to get served at school – spotted dick, anyone? – but we can all now see that our very retro-sounding lunches were perhaps not the healthiest.
Ms Sharp, from Downsbrook Primary, recalls her school puddings fondly: “When the Teletubbies came out, the kitchen staff made us 'Teletubby custard' – which was essentially custard dyed pink.” She also recalls a vast array of potato shapes: “I absolutely adored the potato faces they treated us with on Fridays (alongside normal chips, I might add!) and nearly had a heart attack when there were potato dinosaurs. Happy days!”
Mr Williams, from All Saints Primary, was also a fan of the strangely ubiquitous pink custard: “My best memory of school meals was the puddings! Our school cook used to make the best puddings ever and she really liked me and my friend, so she would always keep seconds for us both. I used to love pink custard plus skin when we had a slice of chocolate cake.”
On a more serious note, we wanted to know what changes – hopefully for the better – teachers have seen in school meals over the years. The response was really positive. Mr Lockyer told us: “The meals my children have at school are incredibly varied compared to my own experiences. Meals have got healthier, but there’s still a balance. We still have chips on a Friday, for example. Woo hoo!”
And Mr Williams agrees that things are changing for the better: “The quality of the food has improved and the children have a far greater choice. Portion size and healthy eating are far more prominent, with children having a better understanding of the food they eat and why it is good for you. It is always a privilege as a teacher to sit down with children and have lunch together.
“This I feel is an extremely important part of the school day and allows older children to model good table etiquette. This communal act of sitting down together is made even more important as many children don’t have the chance to sit at a table as a family when they are at home.”
Finally, Ms Sharp has the following words of wisdom: “At school, always be polite to the kitchen staff – especially if you want seconds!”
Happy International School Meals Day, everyone!
