School Lunches
Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall
In our forthcoming & first podcast of 2025, Robert & I revisit school lunches.
The route we take to get there is, as always, a curious one.
Get there we do, though.
After we had finished chatting I found my own memories of school day repasts flooding back.
What were the favourites?
The Main Event ..
Beef Pie (where you hoped for a corner piece & plenty of gravy)
Shepherd's Pie with Peas
Mince with Mashed Potatoes
Fish Fingers & Chips with Beans
Spam Fritters with Chips & Peas
Cheese Pie & Chips & Mixed Vegetables
Lamb Slices with Mint Sauce & Boiled Potatoes
The Pud ..
Cornflake Tart
Jelly & Ice Cream
Rice Pudding with Jam
Semolina Pudding as above
Apple Crumble with Custard
Sponge Pudding with Chocolate Custard
Concrete Pudding with Pink Custard (shortbread I think & an absolute beast to cut through)
There are omissions here but these are the dishes which spring to mind immediately.
There were shiny metal jugs of water on our tables. Without fail we all looked under our Pyrex glasses to see how old we were - for some reason they had numbers underneath. On every given day a teacher would pick a pupil to go around & fill the glasses with water.
You had to be careful to try not to spill a drop over the food.
Looking back, we were well fed & lunchtimes at school were always fun. The lovely Dinner Ladies, sitting with your friends, clearing away your dishes and glasses afterwards, a little time to play before the bell calling us to afternoon lessons.
Even queuing to get into the lunch hall was fun. Seeking out a possible table to sit at, trying to work out what was on the menu that day by either the aromas within or by glancing at the plates of those already seated. Then there'd be either joy or mild disappointment at what was on offer depending on your taste - but there was never indifference.
Perusing those lists now, there's nothing I would not eat today.
Well, maybe, I might swerve the Spam Fritters though I suspect Robert would not.
AMM
