Glorious Food? English Schoolchildren Think Not

Rotherham Journal ^ | October 18, 2006 | Sarah Lyall

[Diana in Wisconsin]

ROTHERHAM, England — Five months after the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver succeeded in cajoling, threatening and shaming the British government into banning junk food from its school cafeterias, many schools are learning that you can lead a child to a healthy lunch, but you can’t make him eat.

The fancy new menu at the Rawmarsh School here?

“It’s rubbish,” said Andreas Petrou, an 11th grader. Instead, en route to school recently, he was enjoying a north of England specialty known as a chip butty: a French-fries-and-butter sandwich doused in vinegar.

“We didn’t get a choice,” he said of the school food. “They just told us we were having it.”

The government’s regulations, which took effect in September, have banished from school cafeterias the cheap, instantly gratifying meals that children love by default: the hamburgers, the French fries, the breaded, deep-fried processed meat, the sugary drinks.

[Gondring]

Don't forget that you have to reheat them on your shovel over your miner's lamp! I love 'em! I think I was a Cornish miner in a previous life.

[leilani]

We need some 'Meat Pie Mums' right here in America

I'm thinking MeatPieMum would make the coolest screenname for some lurker who doesn't have one yet!

[dfwgator]

Hell:

Where the food is English
The police are German
The cars are French
The lovers are Swiss
And the whole thing is run by Italians

[Snickersnee]

England -- if you like the weather, you'll love the food.

[NYFriend]

I'd love a few suggestions for English restaurants in London for the next time I'm out there. For fish and chips I used to like Mickey's near Paddington, but it's not quite the expanse of English cuisine.

I've found several great restaurants in London, but they served Indian.

I've eaten in pubs in other parts of the country where I thought about soaking my food in my bear before eating it.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

English food has its high points:

Yeah, the Indian food there is amazing.

[Gondring]

Reminds me of the photographic proof of water on Mars!

[Mrs Ivan]

I should qualify my last comment by adding that I do think that there are far too many fussy children around. Let them bring a packed lunch - nothing wrong with that, but if they opt for school dinners, from preference, or because that is what their parents can afford, then they should not expect any choice.

[Squawk 8888]

Peak Freans Digestives are quite good actually. Similar to shortbread. No need to import them either- they're made here in Toronto.

[Gondring]

Even when I still lived in Delaware I avoided the Wilmington area like the plague.

Well, there is a resemblance... ;-)

[LonePalm]

Hard to beat a pie and peas from Harry's Cafe des Wheels in Sydney, Australia.

'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Gondring]

Yeah, the Indian food there is amazing.

ROTFLOL!

Welcome to FR! I like your nickname!

[miss marmelstein]

I'll do it if you can tell me what Cotswold cheese is and can I find a substitute in the US?

[bill1952]

>I didn't say they couldn't.

I was referring to this:

>In infant (3-7) and junior school (7-11) there was one option, no packed lunches...
However, with two young children (and one older) of my own, I understand your sentiment.

[Gabz]

That is absolutely horrendous, because you're right, there are too many kids that often get their only nutricious meal of the day at school.


There are no vending machines at all in our elementary schools, I'm not sure about the middle and hish schools. There is also a no soda policy at the elementary schools - but for a practical, not nanny-state, reason - too many shaken up sodas are a pain to clean up after.

[radiohead]

I was just about to post the same pic. Pays to read the thread before posting. : )

There's a lot I've eaten and lived to tell about, but I can't think of too many things that look more unappealing.

[Redcloak]

he was enjoying a north of England specialty known as a chip butty: a French-fries-and-butter sandwich doused in vinegar.

I'm guessing that this is an acquired taste.

[Gondring]

I've eaten in pubs in other parts of the country where I thought about soaking my food in my bear before eating it.

Do most pubs let you bring your bear inside? ;-)

[NYFriend]

"Cornish pasties (basically a hot pocket made out of pie crust or biscuit dough with meat and vegetables and/or fruit filling)
Is that the basis for the Jamaican pattie? They're everywhere here in Toronto."

I don't know if thats where the Jamaican patties come from or not. Similar idea, except pasties have vegetables and more of a gravy, like stew. The dough must be different, because I remember Jamaican patties being yellowish. Plus there's tons more variety.

[Rastus]

You had a lot more options than we did. I don't know how local schools are now, but there was no leaving campus to eat at all. That's not to say we didn't leave on a few occasions anyway. . . .