When i first came out with my Afternoon project, i had never thought of this idea. As time as progressed and i have ticked off the popular themes, i turn my attention to more unusual ones. Very nostalgic topic School and School dinners. Of course depending on your age it will be different. For me it was the 90s.

Turkey Twizzlers, Smiley Faces

So my themed Tea is very reflective of that era and possibly slightly earlier 80s etc. I filmed it live via facebook as usual with it lasting about an hour or so. School dinners came about when the act was passed in 1906 providing a meal for each child. Nowadays it is means tested i think? in the 1980s the legal Nutritional standards requirements were dropped. Meaning Schools could cook what they liked i guess. Nowadays it is most likely all change and more focus on fresh nutritional meals with vegetable and fruit.

Bringing the theme together

I knew i wanted to have lunch trays and maybe pack lunches each. I managed to get some service trays in sam 99p shop and ordered some sectioned dishes on Temu. I also got a Classroom backdrop from Temu these backdrops really add to the theme and immersion. Especially for the after photos we take.

I also knew i wanted to have a sort of School costume to wear, like a Blazer and a Teacher costume. These were a bit pricey about £30 each. I thought outside the box and ordered a Graduation gown with hat, which is the Old school teacher headmaster feel i wanted. I was lucky to have found a blazer jacket in the charity shop for £4 and also a School dinner lady like coat. It is actuallly a manufacturer of work uniforms maids, nurses etc. That was £4 too, paired with a plastic shower cap and the trays, perfect.

Coming up with the menu i took to google for old school dinner favourites. I myself did not often have School dinners, mostly took a packed lunch. Of course this is an Afternoon Tea not dinner so having to have a mix of sweet and savoury items to come together to feel like a Tea. I remember taking BABYBEL Cheese and having Dairylea Dunkers, so knew i had to have them. Also Potato faces now known as smiles.

THE MENU

My inspiration was 80s/90s focused and included the following:

  • Butterscotch Tart never had this before or made, nice but sweet
  • School Cake Sprinkle sponge traybake
  • Coconut Raspberry Jam Cake ( i used my Raspberry Rose Jam for the topping)
  • Jelly
  • Bruce Bogtrotters Chocolate Cake from Matilda
  • Teachers Apple Mousse dessert
  • Smiley potato face Cheese Toasties
  • Dairylea Dunkers and Babybel Cheese ( no lie not had for about 20 years)
  • Various Sandwiches
  • School pizza elevated Pesto Roasted Tomato and Parmesan
  • Scones with uusal Clotted Cream and Jams

I shared my Dinner lady story in my live video, so for anyone reading here, here it is.

I had a dinner lady who always looked miserable, she had what we now call a “resting face” with thick glasses on. her name was Ms Bulger. I cannot remember it all but remember her telling me i could not have the things in my lunchbox, what is of her business?. I told my mum and she was furious, i live opposite my primary School, and she went to see the headteacher ( he was a dead ringer for John Cleese called Mr Morton) and she must have got some dressing down. I never liked her. another time when i had a hot meal dinner, something fell on the floor and she told me to eat it, putting it back on the plate.

Enough of the backstory, back to the Tea. I used my vintage Glass Jelly moulds to make 3 different flavoured Jellies. The Tutti Frutti was awful, the Jello Peach just tasted like gelatin. The pineapple and Strawberry were the best ones. The Potato face Cheese Toastie was good too and a modern take on the classic school dinner item.

I later thought i could have breaded the Babybel and deep fried with a dip, will do that with the leftover for dinner or something, like a breaded Mozzarella.

I wanted to also include dishes from School themed like Matilda, so chose the Bruce Bogtrotter cake. This was a death by Chocolate Cake. It was a bit solid the recipe more like a Torte. So next time will swap it out for a lighter Sponge.

Relatively happy with everything else and the elevated School square pizza slices. Of course their are many more dishes out there for School dinners.

What was your favourite School dinner and from where?

Leftovers

Like true Cafeteria food recycling, i used the Chocolate Cake to make Cake pops, and the leftover Clotted Cream made some Clotted Cream Shortbread. I still have 4 pieces of Coconut cake left, but that lasts ages.

Would you come to an School dinner themed Tea like this?

Not sure if i will do another one, but have the props for it if so. I did buy lunch boxes for the Tea but later got the trays as was more practical.

If you would like to follow my Afternoon Tea adventures follow me on insta and Facebook. I save all my live videos so can be watched anytime, just not live as they were. On insta click the tabs to see photos highlights from most of my Teas.

Thanks for reading