Now the kids or grandchildren have gone back to school, we might be feeling a little nostalgic for those classic, comforting school dinners that formed our childhoods.
Did you know…?
- School dinners were first in the national agenda in 1906 with The Provision of Meals Act which was designed to give free school meals to all children.
- Nursery school pioneer Margaret McMillan lobbied for the bill as education had become compulsory. She said it was then right for the state to provide children with a hot meal.
- This free meal initially tended to be breakfast and include items like bread and dripping and porridge.
- The classic British dishes we grew up with were first introduced in the 1920s and they included stew and treacle pudding.
- Local authorities were told it was compulsory to offer school dinners in 1944 during wartime rationing. These meals included tinned meats, mashed potatoes, and jam roly-poly.
- After the end of rationing, school meals included fish and chips on Fridays and corned beef. Spotted dick and rice pudding with a dollop of jam were also popular.
- In 2015, legislation was introduced to ensure every school meal had at least one portion of salad or vegetables and deep-fried food was limited after an increase in fast foods in school dinners during the 1980s and 1990s.
What are the most popular school dinner classics from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s we could make at home for the family to enjoy today?
Cheddar topped cottage pie – Make a classic cottage pie with minced beef, stock, peas, carrots, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, onions, rosemary, and thyme, and top with creamy mash topped with extra mature cheddar cheese. Bake until golden and bubbling!
Toad in the hole and onion gravy – Use good quality pork sausages, browning them in a pan with onions first. Get the oil in your baking pan really hot, add your sausages, and pour over your batter, then bake until the batter is risen, golden brown, and fluffy inside. Serve with onion gravy and seasonal vegetables. Delicious!
Steak pie – Use puff pastry for extra flakiness and crunch, slow cooking your braised beef first to make a tender filling for your pie. Add a little homemade ketchup to your filling alongside beef stock and onions for a pleasing depth of flavour. Serve with smooth mashed potatoes, gravy, and broccoli.
Cheese and potato pie – A fantastic way to get some extra protein in your children’s diet. Use floury potatoes, mature cheddar, spring onions, and mustard to give your pie added flavour. Serve with steamed vegetables or salad, and slices of ham.
Lamb hotpot – This popular Lancashire dish is a fabulous concoction of diced lamb, onions, bay leaves, stock, and Worcestershire sauce topped with sliced potatoes. Serve with your favourite vegetables.
Fish cakes – There’s something so comforting about eating flaky, golden homemade fish cakes on days with an autumnal snap in the air. Make them with cod or haddock, Maris Piper potatoes, parsley, chives, and bay leaves, and serve with a homemade tartare sauce made with capers, mayonnaise, horseradish sauce, Dijon mustard, and shallots.
Beef stew with carrots – Add flavour to your stewing steak with celery, onion, thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and tomato puree. Make this in the oven or a slow cooker and serve over creamy mashed potatoes.
Fish pie – Use a mixture of cod, haddock, and salmon adding chives, spring onions, and English mustard for that classic taste. Top with mash made from Maris Piper potatoes and grated mature cheddar cheese. Serve with petit pois and sweetcorn to make this a child’s favourite.
Apple crumble and custard – It’s apple harvest season right now, so use some traditional British varieties and add a little cinnamon and a few raisins. Use toasted oats and a few chopped hazelnuts in your crumble mix and bake until bubbling and golden on top. Serve with a smooth homemade custard.
Homemade rice pudding – Put your rice and sugar in an ovenproof dish and pour in milk and evaporated milk. Stir it well, then grate nutmeg over the surface and dot it with butter. Slow cook for 45 minutes on a low heat then stir, and cook for hour and a half. When serving, add a dollop of your favourite jam.
Rhubarb and custard – Add a little preserved ginger to your rhubarb as you stew it with sugar to bring out its flavour. Serve steaming hot with a smooth custard.
Take a look at the classic British dishes in our sample menus.
