Beloved British school dinners from the 60s, 70s and 80s that don’t exist anymore – as government announces deep fried food ban to tackle childhood obesity crisis

It’s been 29 years since Jamie Oliver’s campaigning saw a myriad of beloved but unhealthy options – including Turkey Twizzlers and chocolate concrete cake – scrapped from dinner menus.

And now, in the biggest shake-up in years, battered fish and chips, fried chicken nuggets and jam doughnuts are set to be banned too.

New food standards for schools in England will introduce a ban on deep fried foods from September next year – in an attempt to curb the UK’s childhood obesity crisis.

The move is set to take pupils away from the lunch canteens of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, which featured fish fingers and smiley face potatoes, spam fritters and cowboy pie.

And for dessert, students could enjoy everything from a Jam Roly Poly – lathered in custard – to a frosty Arctic Roll.

Read on to take a trip down memory lane…

FISH FINGERS AND SMILEY FACES

Fish fingers and smiley face potatoes are a beloved British school dinner staple

An easy British classic, fish fingers on a Friday with smiley potato faces never got old.

Occasionally combined with bake beans or peas (that were placed in the eyes of the faces for good measure), there is no doubt that this meal holds a special place in Brits’ hearts.

CHOCOLATE CONCRETE AND PINK CUSTARD

Combining a crisp chocolate cake with a layer of dyed custard for a fun flair, this was a popular nostalgic dessert

Why have normal custard when you could make it pink? A popular addition to a school desert, pink custard, also known as tubby or tellytubby custard, dominated the school menus for decades.

Made by heating up milk, sugar and strawberry blancmange powder, the bright pink sauce was often served over chocolate concrete.

It was often combined with a so-called chocolate concrete – a crisp, chocolate-layered traybake that soared to popularity in the 1970s and 1980s across the UK.

Made from just flour, sugar, butter and cocoa powder, it can be served warm or cold and was often accompanied by pink or mint custard.

SPAM FRITTERS

Deep fried spam in batter was not only popular for school dinners, but also chippies

Dubbed a ‘British classic’, span fritters were not only a staple in school canteens, but also chippies and supermarkets.

Thought to have come about in the UK during the second World War – when there was a shortage of fish – it consists of spam deep fried in a batter.

JAM ROLY POLY

A jam roly poly is still a popular retro dessert – but was one of the top sweet treats when it came to school dinners

A Jam Roly-Poly was bound to cause excitement when it hit the school menu – comprising of steamed suet pastry swirled with sticky raspberry jam.

It was washed down, of course, with a bowlful of warm custard.

COWBOY PIE

This recipe utilised popular English breakfast ingredients into a baked pie

Another nostalgic school dinner option, cowboy pie is a reimagining of a cottage pie – but with pork sausages, basked beans and BBQ sauce and onions.

Topped with mashed potatoes and cheese, this savoury, ingredient packed meal certainly kept you full for the day.

ARCTIC ROLL

A colder, frostier answer to a Jam Roly Roly, an arctic roll consisted of vanilla ice cream which was wrapped in sponge

Another retro dessert, the Arctic Roll is the warm, steamed Jam Roly Poly’s frosty cousin, consisting of a vanilla ice cream wrapped in a sponge layer.

Much like other sweet treats from the era – including Viennetta – they are enjoying a comeback in supermarkets.

TURKEY TWIZZLERS

In 2020, a new, healthier version of the beloved Turkey Twizzler was relaunched. However, it was to be shortlived – with the rebrand discontinued in 2025

Adored by school children across the nation, the corkscrew-shaped turkey sausage creations were a key feature on most lunchtime menus.

Yet they were axed from schools in 2005 after Jamie Oliver’s healthy-eating ‘Feed Me Better’ campaign to ban them in schools shamed the classic food item for containing just 34 per cent meat.

The move sparked outrage among schoolchildren across the country, who, even 20 years later, still declare that Jamie will ‘never be forgiven’ for it.

In 2020, a new, healthier version of the beloved Turkey Twizzler was relaunched. However, it was to be shortlived – with the rebrand discontinued in 2025.

FAIRY CAKE

Taking to TikTok, avid baker Janes Patisserie was on hand to share his top tips for recreating this childhood classic – which she fondly described as a ‘nostalgic and classic bake’ that is ‘delicious, easy to make and looks great’

A sprinkle-topped sponge cake will almost instantly take you down memory lane to school bake sales and afternoon picnics with your friends.

The retro snack is also incredibly easy to make, featuring a light vanilla sponge topped with white icing and rainbow sprinkles.

‘Nostalgia in a bake,’ commented one viewer, while another praised: ‘My favourite too! That looks incredible’.

LIVER AND ONIONS

Usually served with mashed potatoes, the tart liver (usually beef or lamb) was slightly seasoned and served with slow-cooked onions

A popular school dinner staple from the 60s to the 80s, liver and onions have a divisive legacy. Whereas it was a gory meal for some, others remember it fondly.

Usually served with mashed potatoes, the tart liver (usually beef or lamb) was slightly seasoned and served with slow-cooked onions.

TURKEY DINOSAURS

Canteen regulars more than 20 years ago, breadcrumbed Turkey dinosaurs were a key staple for children in the early 1970s and 1980s, but are less common today

Canteen regulars more than 20 years ago, breadcrumbed Turkey dinosaurs were a key staple for children in the early 1970s and 1980s, but are less common today.

Sadly, according to research from food experts, a quarter of UK households have removed turkey dinos from their supermarket shop, with Brits typically opting for classic meals over some of our freezer staples.

The possibility that the turkey dinosaur could soon be going extinct is bound to disappoint many across the nation – with the dino treat adored by many and also incredibly simple to make – with just a few ingredients required.

CORNFLAKE TART

Providing a touch of nostalgia to your dinner table, it was typically enjoyed with a generous helping of custard in the mid-afternoon

A charming sweet treat bound to delight your taste buds, the cornflake tart combined shortcrust, strawberry pastry jam and cornflakes with a delicious golden syrup.

Providing a touch of nostalgia to your dinner table, it was typically enjoyed with a generous helping of custard in the mid-afternoon.

Simple and easy to bake, several social media users have attempted to recreate the classic snack – with one avid baker describing the school staple as the perfect thing to ‘brighten up your Friday night’.

CHEESE FLAN

With just four ingredients and not to be confused with quiche, it delighted school children across the nation and has often been cited as a comforting option during the winter months

Cheese flan, also known as cheese pie, was often served up as a lunchtime classic in the 1970s and 1980s and consisted of savoury custard in a shortcrust pastry bake.

With just four ingredients and not to be confused with quiche, it delighted school children across the nation and has often been cited as a comforting option during the winter months.

Served up into squares, it often came with a side of chips and a good old scoop of ice cream potato mash – a smart incentive to encourage youngsters to eat their potatoes.

PASTA KING

Many complained of the watery nature of the dishes – with everything from Arrabbiata to carbonara on offer – but it was still a satisfying bite after a long morning of lessons

While Pasta King pots are still served across schools, they no longer have the glossy cult status they held in the 2000s, when first being introduced into canteens.

Many complained of the watery nature of the dishes – with everything from Arrabbiata to carbonara on offer – but it was still a satisfying bite after a long morning of lessons.

BLANCMANGE

Known for being a dinner party staple – usually served in the shape of a rabbit – it made its way into school dinners too

A 70s favourite, Blancmange is usually made with milk, cream and sugar that is thickened into a moulded jelly, which is sometimes flavoured with almonds.

Known for being a dinner party staple – usually served in the shape of a rabbit – it made its way into school dinners too.

SPAGHETTI HOOPS ON TOAST