UK school dinners 80s&90s

[RobertVA]

My parents had two viewpoints that resulted in my eating school cafeteria food a rare event:

• Despite the subsidies, a lunch brought from home (bag or lunch box) was less expensive

• Since I wasn't carrying any money to school, a bully couldn't steal it.

Didn't prevent harassment from other students over having to bring lunch from home though.

A slice of packaged lunch meat (bologna, salami etc) betwen two slices of bread and a little mayonase to moisten things was ussally on the menu. The sandwich was accompanied with a thermos of whole milk and a sweet (packaged pastry like a cupcake or twinky) or a salty snack like a single serving bag of chips (what UK readers would call crisps). At that time all of the available thermoses were glass lined and it was very important to check the level of liquid hadn't dropped inside (as a result of the glass liner breaking and contaminating the beverage with broken glass) before pouring the milk into the drinking cup.

In elementary school a student had to buy the hot lunch or have a bag/box lunch with them to buy sweets like ice cream.

 

[Deckerd]

I went to primary and secondary school in a small Scottish town and the food was magnificent. There's no other way to describe it. Unlike most of the people posting here, the main courses were great too. Beef olives in gravy, proper mince 'n tatties or cottage pie, chicken supreme (or a Scottish dinner lady's version of it), sausages and onions with gravy. The puddings included lemon meringue pie with pink stuff on the peaks of the meringue, caramel shortbread (what you would call millionaire's shortcake), apple sponge, rhubarb crumble - all served with Special Scottish runny custard (none of yer thick stuff with skins). Ahhh memories. They made everything in big catering trays and gave you generous portions. Once everyone had been served you were allowed to go back for seconds.

 

[Jadzia]

We'd have got on well as kids, because those were among my least favourites, so division of the bounty would have been very easy.

What are your views on chocolate mice? I adored those things.

I remember those white mice with the pink strawberry blood inside them. If those are the ones you mean, I adored them too.

Here, treat yourself:
Cola bottles
Chocolate mice

 

[Holdfast]

Here, treat yourself:
Cola bottles
Chocolate mice

You are the devil in confectionary form, to tempt me with such evil.

 

[Captain Shaw]

I was early for my night class, so I walked round the pound shop to waste some time and I found a load of lion bars, I have not seen any for ages.