‘Forgotten’ British school dinners from the ’70s and ’80s as new rules are announced – how many can YOU remember?

As the biggest shake-up to school dinners is set to hit next September, ex-pupils have been reminiscing about meals of the past. While the new school rules hope to tackle the rising rates of childhood obesity in England, it spells the end to many lunchtime staples. School meals are set to change under new government regulations Credit: Getty Images – Getty This week the Government announced a series of new rules designed to encourage healthy eating in schools across England. Set to start from September 2027, the 15 new policies – which include a ban on fried food – also place limits on sugar content in cereals and the number of desserts served in a week. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The new restrictions have had Brits reminiscing about the “good old days”, before Jamie Oliver’s school dinners campaign in 2005 axed Turkey Twizzlers off lunch menus. And while smiley faces, jam roly-polys and arctic rolls haven’t been served for decades now, they are still considered a nostalgic lunchtime staple for many. So how many iconic dishes and desserts can you remember from your school days? Concrete cake and pink custard The dense cake was almost always served alongside pink custard A crunchy and chocolatey school-dinner dessert from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the humble concrete cake holds a special place in the hearts of ex-pupils who were served this classic treat. Drizzled in warm pink custard, the dessert was popular for its sweet taste and dense “concrete-like” texture. However, this cake was gradually phased-out of school canteens by the early-2000s. Most read in The Sun School fairy cake You might remember these at school bake sales Credit: Lidl Another timeless staple, school cakes have been served in British primary schools since at least the early 20th century, with many calling the dish “a classic”. Topped with iconic white and pink icing reminiscent of simpler days and multi-coloured sprinkles, the sweet, spongy dessert still appears on school menus. Turkey Twizzlers and Turkey Dinosaurs Turkey Dinosaurs have been a cheap staple in children’s diets for decades now Credit: Gingagi Turkey Twizzlers were a key feature on most lunchtime menus Credit: Photolibrary RM – Getty Although nowadays it is rare to find breaded turkey in UK supermarkets, at one point it was all the range. Shaped in spirals and dinosaur forms, Turkey Twizzlers and Turkey Dinosaurs were considered a cheap, popular and, for many, delicious lunchtime meal. Notably, Jamie Oliver targeted Turkey Twizzlers in his 2005 TV series ‘Jamie’s School Dinners’ for their poor nutritional value, leading its creators, Bernard Matthews, to discontinue the product. Cowboy Pie A traditional British school dinner featuring sausages and BBQ baked beans topped with cheesy, buttery mashed potato, this pie was considered a canteen classic from the 1970s onwards. Now, as the majority of these ingredients are set to be banned from school menus soon, the pie will live on in the homes of Brits. Cheese Flan A savoury tart with an egg and milk filling in a cheesy pastry base, this dish is another old school favourite. Last seen in the late 1980s, the retro flan was later replaced by more French-style quiches. Pasta King Many remember Pasta King as an iconic canteen staple, where you could grab a paper pot of pasta topped with tomato sauce and a generous scoop of grated cheese. But surprisingly, the company is still active in schools, supplying the pasta dish in cafeterias across the country. Fish Fingers and Smiley Faces Potato smiley faces were once a lunchtime classic Credit: Irina Kozmova Fish fingers and potato smiley faces were not only considered a lunchtime staple, they were also a quick and nostalgic dinnertime meal. Thankfully, the pupils of today will still be able to sample a fish finger – seeing as they’re baked rather than fried. Sadly, the same cannot be said for potato smiley faces, which despite being cooked in the oven, have not been seen on school menus since the gradual phasing out of highly processed foods. Arctic Roll The spongy ice-cream roll was discontinued before the start of the 2000s Credit: Alamy Stock Photo Last but not least are the age-old arctic rolls – a comforting blend of vanilla ice cream, sponge cake and raspberry flavoured jam. All wrapped around the log-shaped ice cream, the school pudding’s popularity peaked in the 80s, before being quietly discontinued by its manufacturers, Walls, in 1997. Comment now