How school canteen menus have evolved since 1974

Devon sandwiches, sunny boys and 9c finger buns: School canteen menu from 1974 resurfaces – and it’s VERY different to the gourmet ones of today

  • An image of Berala Public School’s canteen from 1974 has been posted online
  • It features devon sandwiches for 13 cents and lamingtons for 9 cents
  • An Adelaide-based school has also shared their 2019 menu with students
  • It has a number of salads for almost $7 and lets you ‘build’ your own lunch 

An school canteen menu from 1974 has been shared online, showing the vast difference between the simple food 44 years ago and the gourmet options served today. 

At Berala Public School, based in NSW, pupils could indulge in devon, peanut butter, banana, spaghetti or baked bean sandwiches for prices as low as 11 cents.

Sweet treats like lamingtons, finger buns and vanilla slices – much-loved Australian classics – were on offer for nine cents and a plain donut was just seven cents.

 

At Berala Public School, based in NSW, pupils could indulge in devon, peanut butter, banana, spaghetti or baked bean sandwiches for prices as low as 11 cents

If you were feeling lavish you could splash out on a chocolate eclair or custard tart for 13 cents, or an apple pie for 15 cents.

Hot foods from that era included meat pies for 20 cents or a sausage roll for 12 cents.

To cool down on warmer days there was Glug, Razz, Sunny Boy or Zap for five cents, Icicles for three cents and Snow Pops for eight cents.

Hot foods from that era included meat pies for 20 cents or a sausage roll for 12 cents

Hot foods from that era included meat pies for 20 cents or a sausage roll for 12 cents

Fruit like oranges, apples and mandarins were also rotated depending on what was in season and chips like plain and salt and vinegar were 12 cents.

A number of people who had been at school during that era commented about the ‘good old days’ and how simple the food used to be.

‘I remember the tuckshop menu from my primary school circa 1978-79 with prices not too much more than these! Pies, party pies, saveloys, hot cheese rolls, savoury rolls and sandwiches,’ one person wrote.

‘Spaghetti sandwiches need to make a comeback,’ another said.

‘Back when getting a lunch order was a treat and then getting the change in the paper bag to spend at the canteen,’ a third added.

To compare, FEMAIL consulted the menu from an Adelaide-based school who released their salads and sandwiches online for this year

To compare, FEMAIL consulted the menu from an Adelaide-based school who released their salads and sandwiches online for this year

To compare, FEMAIL consulted the menu from an Adelaide-based school that released their salads and sandwiches online for this year.

There were far more health-conscious meals pertaining to children who were gluten, dairy or sugar-free, as well as vegetarian options.

You could ‘build your own’ sandwich starting from just $4 and add things like Tandoori chicken, falafel, mint yoghurt and Kalamata olives.

Or you could choose a burger from their selection of four, including a Mexican one with smashed avocado for $5.90.

Bolognaise and bechamel sauce baked with pasta sheets is $5, spinach and ricotta ravioli topped with a tomato and roasted capsicum sauce is similarly priced Hokkien noodles are the same.

In the salad department there was a range of healthy choices, including a dukkah crusted pumpkin one, another with marinated fetta cheese and seared chicken. The most expensive of these is $6.90.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk