back to article Scots council: 9-yr-old lunch blogger was causing 'distress and harm'

A Scottish council have said that a nine-year-old food blogger was misrepresenting her school dinners and distressing the canteen staff, by publishing a photoblog about her lunch. The media attention caused by the photos, such as the one below was causing "distress and harm" to staff the council said. School Dinner by Glasgow …

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  1. JimmyPage Silver badge
    FAIL

    Ah, the old old "lets throw petrol on the fire"

    method of firefighting.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Ah, the old old "lets throw petrol on the fire"

      Did anyone else immediately think "Max Payne" when they saw that plate and the girl's name?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      or indeed

      that well known survival technique of digging to get out of a hole.

      1. A J Stiles

        Re: or indeed

        Or borrowing money to get out of debt .....

    3. Aqua Marina
      Thumb Up

      Re: Ah, the old old "lets throw petrol on the fire"

      Epic fail for the council, epic win for the girl and the charity.

      This afternoon the page count had reached 2.5M and the charity had received £15K

      This evening the page count has reached 3.8M and the charity has received £45K

      The charity has even posted how they've received enough to go beyond the original appeal, and build a new kitchen and stock it with food for a year.

      Streisand effect much.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No photos in the canteen

    OK, so I wonder if it's now time for her to practice her drawing ability.

    Or could she take the plate of food outside and take the photo *not in* the canteen.

    Or how is her photoshop? Have standard photos of a plate, cheeseburger, croquette etc and stitch them together on her computer later.

    1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: No photos in the canteen

      She should start drawing it, it would probably make the food more appealing.

      So they give what looks like a 50p microwave burger, potato things, cucumber (One of her 5 a day), those horrid ice lollies.

      1. Natalie Gritpants

        Re: No photos in the canteen

        I like those lolies. It's the only thing on there I'd eat without being drunk.

        1. Danny 14

          Re: No photos in the canteen

          TBH for a school dinner thats not too bad. Seen a alot worse.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: No photos in the canteen

            As my daughter said of her school meals, they teach you (in PSE) about eating five a day, then give you a meal that makes it harder to eat 5 fruit and veg a day because there's none (or in the illustrated case, very little) in it.

            I looked at it and was going to suggest someone call the NSPCC

            1. peterrat

              Re: No photos in the canteen

              'scuse me, what's wrong with cooking at home

              1. BoldMan
                Trollface

                Re: No photos in the canteen

                Because this was a school dinner moron! Not everyone has the luxury or ability to go home for lunch!

      2. John70

        Re: No photos in the canteen

        @Captain Scarlet:

        "She should start drawing it, it would probably make the food more appealing."

        In one blog she did draw it because she forgot to bring her camera.

      3. Gunker
        Headmaster

        Re: No photos in the canteen

        If you check her blog, she did draw the occasional meal when she forgot her camera or the batteries were dead.

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: No photos in the canteen

        Am I the only one thinking "Lucky bastards get iced lollies these days"?

    2. dotdavid
      Thumb Up

      Re: No photos in the canteen

      If I were her, I'd continue to write the blog just sans-photos.

      A right shame the council has to be so idiotic about this.

    3. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
      Mushroom

      Re: No photos in the canteen

      Having now seen the blog I can see the stories have picked out the first two photographs which are the worst, some odd choices for the meals.

      The marking is generally 8 out of 10 so she isn't being slanderous, I'm glad I didn't make some more remarks as after reading the blog you can clearly see they do have a good variety of food. it looks like as usual those looking for a story have deliberately picked the worst out to generate an "OMG THEY SHOULD FIRE EVERYONE" response.

      So SHAME ON U REG FOR BEING A SHEEP!!

    4. Lloyd
      Pirate

      Re: No photos in the canteen

      No photos certainly, but did they mention video?

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: No photos in the canteen

        >>SHAME ON U REG FOR BEING A SHEEP!!

        Is that one with or without scrapie and will it land on a dinner plate?

    5. Benchops
      Holmes

      Re: No photos in the canteen

      Telescopic lens (paparazzzi style) to take a photo of dinner on plate whilst standing outside the canteen.

      1. Debe

        Re: No photos in the canteen

        A telescopic lens into a “School” canteen filled with “Children” the riot police would have beaten you senseless and locked away on terrorism charges before you could say “Cheese”.

        I can just see the Daily Mail headline now “PEA-DOPHILE caught taking pictures of (potentially naked) children eating PEAS in a school canteen” the story would be accompanied by a picture of some peas and probably some naked children because Daily Mail readers can’t understand or be outraged at something they can’t see… even if it’s not real.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Pompous council feeding on the cream

    I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids. What a pathetic way to act. Councillors and council employees feeding off the cream while the kids get a birdseye beef burger and a couple of slices of cuecumber.

    As the photos are taken on a regular basis, the sample of meals should presumably be representative of what is given out to the kids. Small portions, not enough veg, etc.

    Makes me furious that when the council was exposed for providing rubbish meals, their only response is to censor the kid. Oh, and also put out another statement saying they are against censorship.

    First up against the wall come the revoloution!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

      Speaking as a Scottish local government employee on his lunch break, eating macaroni from the canteen: they're not. Which is not to say our catering service is appalling, but we sure as hell aren't "feeding off the cream".

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

        I've worked at the council offices. The choice is usually soup, or some gristle-based pie or similar. And being the West coast of Scotland, chips count as vegetables. All washed down with `Bru.

        There's also nowhere else to go anywhere near there, other than a Tesco Express at the garage down the road.

        Then again, most Scottish kids like shit food. Or at least you'd have thought that if you'd seen the kids tucking into the shite we got when I was at school.

        1. Silverburn

          Gistle-based pie

          Sounds lovely. All it needs is some triple and some eels, and you're all set.

        2. Rampant Spaniel

          Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

          How well do your overlairds eat?

          Just out of curiosity when decade did you go to school? Just trying to figure out when it all went to shit. It could be regional as well, I grew up in the countryside, we got decent food, nothing fancy but it was honest grub. It came from actual ingredients. Our PE hall doubled as the dining room so Friday morning PE was spent watching / hearing and smelling the dinner ladies cooking. They took a lot of pride in their work and there was always more fruit & veg if you asked nicely. Sometimes if the main course was expensive the desert was a simple sponge and custard but at least it was made in the kitchen, not in same 3rd world country out of ingredients more often found in car tyres.

          Having read veg's blog and the councils statement, they seem to offer some ok food now and again. They do offer milk which as we all remember is great! They just seem to manage to screw it up plenty. It also seems like its mostly premade ding food. Fahita's, enchiladas and quesadias are cheap, easy and quick to make from scratch with decent ingredients. Sad to see us setting kids up so badly for life. It was worse to see parents handing their kids crap through the gates on JO's show.

          1. Pete 2 Silver badge

            Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

            > Just out of curiosity when decade did you go to school? Just trying to figure out when it all went to shit

            Well, I was at school in the 60's/70's (not the full 20 years, you understand!). One of the big problems my schools had was that the kitchens didn't keep a lot of reserves. So the food that made up the day's lunch was delivered from the suppliers that morning.

            As a consequence the suppliers (esp. for meat) could deliver any old crud, safe in the knowledge that it couldn't be rejected or the little darlings would go hungry.

            I do recall many occasions where it appeared the protein (at least that's what it appeared to be) had gone through some sort of vulcanisation process before being served. Whether that was the chemical genius of the school cooks, or the quality of the raw product is difficult to say. Generally the deserts were better as there aren't many ways to mess up Spong [sic] pudding though the custard sometimes made you wonder ...

            1. Rampant Spaniel

              Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

              Interesting. Mine was 80's & early 90's. All kids, no matter where they live should be getting a decent meal. The nations health is going to hell, perhaps the govts plan to save on pension payouts?

          2. Tony S
            Windows

            Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

            I was getting school dinners in the 60s and it was good, solid, wholesome food; although seldom any choice.

            Minced meat on Mondays (local butchers getting rid of unsold meat from previous week) usually in the form of cottage pie or similar. Very occasionally lasagne (twice a year?).

            Tuesdays would be chicken; usually roasted, very occasionally they would produce a stange watery tomato sauce and vegetables.

            Roast Beef / Pork / Lamb on a Wednesday; served with roast potatoes and mixed veg. Sometimes with yorkshire puddings.

            Stew normally on Thursdays, usually with dumplings that could be used in hand to hand combat; solid little lumps that really filled you up. I also remember having some Toad in the hole that was actually really good.

            Fish on Fridays, normally steamed, very occasionally deep fried, sometimes with chips, otherwise boiled potatoes.

            We were offered salads during the summer, but they were very basic; lettuce cucumber and tomato. No dressing or coleslaw. Normally with sliced cold meat, and my favourite was corned beef which most other kids turned their noses up at.

            Almost every day we were offered a sweet pie or pudding for afters; and almost without exception it would be smothered in custard (which I hated). The only drink offered was water, which was supplied in large dull coloured aluminium jugs, which we drank from matching dull coloured aluminium cups.

            Like yours, our dinner ladies took a pride in their work, and produced good food on a tight budget. But locally produced and sourced food.

            1. Rampant Spaniel

              Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

              That seems like a very familiar menu! We did on occasion get stuff like pizza or curry, but it was always homemade and therefore nothing like you would expect. At the same time it was also very nice.

              They could do it then, but now with 4x the amount of managers and technology they can't get past frozen croquets and hocket puck burgers made of horse tonka.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

                Well I was the previous AC. I went to school in Glasgow in the 80s. To be honest, the primary school I went to served the standard British stodge: mash, bits of gristly, fatty meat, completely unseasoned, usually with cold gravy, cabbage with the green boiled out of it, that sort of thing. Some people like that sort of thing, but I guess I was spoiled by a mother who could cook.

                Secondary school was where things got really bad. It was pie and chips mostly. Very low quality burgers, sausages with no meat in them, that sort of thing. Burger van food, for want of a better description. Again, a hell of a lot of people like that sort of food, which is obvious as it's everywhere in the UK. Personally, I find that sort of shit revolting but realise a lot of people like it. A lot of IT companies' canteens still serve that type of food nowadays, although most people of my generation who work in such places tend to either bitch about it or avoid it. I guess the fact that a lot of people are cooking their own food again has an effect.

            2. Andus McCoatover

              Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

              Ohhh, Custard. Luxury.

              In the back of my larder I've a tin of Bird's custard. Imported when I moved to Finland. Unopened, and the sell-by date was at the end of the last century (I bet it's still OK)

              Now, if I can get hold of some muslin (NO! - it's got an 'n' at the end, before the plods deal with my door with their "Standard Issue") and make Spotted Dick for my 56th next week...

          3. Jason Tan

            Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

            You think the lunches are setting the kids up badly - you should see what we're doing to the economy!!!

        3. Jason Tan

          Re: "I bet the lunches at the council offices are better than they serve the kids."

          "Then again, most Scottish kids like shit food. Or at least you'd have thought that if you'd seen the kids tucking into the shite we got when I was at school."

          Just a thought - any chance the little buggers were not getting fed at home so perhaps did not have a great deal to compare against?

          I.e. not so much that that love shite food, just they are so hungry they'll eat anything?

          Here in Aust some schools (in the more proletariat areas - like where I grew up, before any one calls me condescending) have breakfast for kids so they can concentrate in class - as so many kids were coming to school unfed.

  4. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. g e

      Re: Any lawyers present?

      It'll be the council's property so presumably they can say that, yep.

      1. MrXavia
        Thumb Down

        Re: Any lawyers present?

        BUT surely council property is public property as it is owned by the council which is government, and last I heard you are permitted to take photographs in public places...

        And I read the MSP is actually going to ask the council to reverse their decision, surely if the MSP or MP says do something, the council should do it as their the public's representative...

        1. Danny 14

          Re: Any lawyers present?

          Its a school. They can ban what they like. They could ban all cameras and phones if they so wished.

        2. SirStrider

          Re: Any lawyers present?

          IANAL, but ...

          There is a subtle distinction between a property owned by the public (so a public property) and a place where any member of the public can go/take photos freely (a public place). If the school was a public place, any member of the public would be able to enter it and wander up/down it's halls, which they are obviously not allowed to do. So yes, the council was _probably_ within their rights to ban the photography.

          Secondly, you _do_ vote your local council in, so they are just as much the public's representative and are not subservient to M(S)Ps . Arguably they have a stronger mandate in local matters than your M(S)Ps (and definitely your MEPs) because when voting for your council you only care about local issues, but when voting for your M(S)P you normally are voting on national issues.

          Still, can see the current lot of councillors not doing very well next election.

  5. Stretch

    all she did was tell the truth. seems it hurts. maybe there is justice in the world and there will be food poisoning at the council's canteen.

    1. Asiren

      The usual solution

      There's a problem.

      Someone reports it.

      The problem has now become the fact that it's being reported.

      Stop the reporting.

      Problem solved!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    In the army now

    I was on an army site yesterday and the NAAFI was doing a decent steak and chips for £3.50. The solution is obviously get them in to sort school dinners out!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      +1

      Two friends had the catering corps do their wedding meal. Absolutely superb !!!!!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        Re: +1

        One of the best roast dinners I've ever had was in a field kitchen run by army catering students. Replace the generic cut of beef (which they had cooked beautifully) with some sirloin and you'd have thought you were in a top restaurant.

        Great guys.

    2. Omgwtfbbqtime
      Childcatcher

      Re: In the army now

      That was NAAFI not Sodhexo (sp?). The standard of forces catering plumeted badly when the on-camp meals were contracted out. At least you'd get decent food out in the field where contractors fear to tread.

      It wouldn't surprise me if the council had contracted school dinners out to someone like Sodhexo.

      1. Rampant Spaniel

        Re: In the army now

        I despise sodhexo. They took over a subsidise staff canteen. Choice went down, prices went up, food quality went down. The one positive was accidental, they hired a Polish cook who could actually cook and did his best to sneak real cooked food past his managers.

        We did nearly all get sacked one day, he made a crumble, it looked like apple but didn't smell right so we asked him. Having about 4 words of English he just drew an outline in the air of something remarkably phallus like. Thus pear crumble became cock crumble (we did explain to him what this meant, he had a wicked sense of humour). This went down very well with everyone till our director asked what it was.

        Apart from that it was 4-5 quid for a sandwich (remember the company subsidised this racket), if you wanted frozen fish (don't ask the type) and chips it was usually over 5 quid.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: In the army now

      That's £3.50 though. School canteens have a budget of about 70p per child (or so Jamie Oliver told us).

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: In the army now

        I read that the school meal pictured was being charged at £2. May or may not be true.

        1. Rampant Spaniel

          Re: In the army now

          2pounds for the meal of which 70p was for ingredients, the rest for staffing, power, councillor junkets to learn about how the schhol dinner system works on whatever tropical island they saw on the travel channel.

          I've always been a believer in doing it right or not doing it at all. If an extra 20p a day split between staffing and food brings better quality food then to me it is worth it. Why pay anything for crap when you can make a packed lunch. Those that genuinely cannot afford it get free dinners, which is as it should be.

          If the kids don't like healthier food then that's the parents issue. If we didn't eat what was on offer our parents wwould find out and there would be lickings and a monologue about how hard my parents worked for their money and who the hell was I to turn down good food.

          If I smacked my kid the council would have me in chains in minutes, yet they can charge 2 quid for child abuse on a plate.

        2. Mike Flex

          Re: In the army now

          > I read that the school meal pictured was being charged at £2.

          That doesn't mean that any more than 70p is actually spent on the meal.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: In the army now

        I've no idea where they get 70p a head, it costs £2 a day for school meals.

        but for 70p I can do a pretty good packed lunch, and for £2 its a very nice packed lunch!

    4. MrXavia
      Thumb Up

      Re: In the army now

      Sounds like a plan, I always thought the NAAFI was pretty good!

    5. Rampant Spaniel

      Re: In the army now

      Stop offering sensible solutions! The council with get el reg served with a d notice!

      The council have banned the kid from taking pictures, the problem does not now officially exist!

      But seriously, good example!

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Salad bars

    Salad bars, etc, are no good, if they're not accompanied by suitable teaching about food and introduction to foods which may differ from what has been previously experienced. If all you eat at home is burgers and chips, you're not going to stuff yourself with salad at school, especially if burger and chips is also on the menu.

    I'm all for choice, but it's not a choice if you're not capable of understanding the options or the consequences of your actions. Most children (any many adults) are not.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Salad bars

      I bow to your knowledge of what 'most children' know and what is taught in school about healthy eating.

      How did you get that knowledge?

      Pardon me, you made it up to suit your argument?

      Hmm, son, I am disappoint

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Salad bars

        My Father, Mother, both sisters, Aunt and Uncle and one cousin are all teachers, ranging from primary to secondary head, with specialisms including SEN and Speech Therapy.

        So no, I didn't make it up, I've been hearing this sort of thing for a couple of decades.

    2. Rampant Spaniel

      Re: Salad bars

      I agree to a point. Yes the school may have more luck if it accompanied a salad br with education as you state. However, the biggest change has to be driven by the parents. Parents are usually kids role models, before they get to school they have had 4 years of conditioning from their parents. It would be an uphill battle for the school without parental support. True some kids would respond better than others but I do believe (and I am more than happy to hear your thoughts) that the biggest battle is in the home.

      I remember our primary school picked a different country every month and you learnt about their culture (and history etc), including making their national dishes. How we didn't poison each other I don't know, but it did make us braver when it came to trying different foods. Some kids hated it. Funnily enough it was the kids with more affluent parents who could afford junk food who hated anything that wasn't burger, chips and coke.

  8. S4qFBxkFFg
    Go

    Look at the JustGiving link.

    Most of the donations appear to have come in after the ban, so it's done some good.

    (On an unrelated note, someone at A&B Council needs to put the shovel down.)

  9. Gavin 8
    Thumb Down

    Blogger was causing 'distress and harm'?

    Not as much distress and harm as those dinners look like they would cause

    1. Silverburn
      Thumb Up

      Re: Blogger was causing 'distress and harm'?

      +1. Just looking at it makes me want to cry.

    2. Richard 23
      Unhappy

      Re: Blogger was causing 'distress and harm'?

      I'd be somewhat distressed if I had to eat that!

  10. Dr Wadd

    I'd probably be "distressed" too if the someone was if someone was publishing a blog with photographs proving my work wasn't up to snuff. That doesn't mean that the blog is in the wrong though.

    As for the charge of misrepresentation, if there were two choices each day, unless one was something she absolutely hated then it would seem reasonable that she chose the better of the two options. Therefore, the photos potentially show the school dinners in an overly flattering light as they don't factor in the less palatable option. I suppose technically that is misrepresentation, but surely one that if anything is in the school's favour.

    1. Danny 14

      indeed

      If they wanted to refute the photos then they should have taken their own photos to justify everything was fine.

  11. pip25
    FAIL

    Oh wow

    I was prepared for a statement way up on the idiocy scale, but the council still managed to impress me.

    1. Code Monkey
      Happy

      Re: Oh wow

      Their efforts to portray themselves as the victim are hilarious.

  12. g e
    Holmes

    Distress & Harm

    Right. That meal looks like toy food you give a 5 year old to play at cooking with on their Little Tykes play kitchen.

    Distress & Harm caused to the councillor's wallet which was getting a kickback for awarding that catering contract to the cookery clowns that would net him/her the most moolah, most likely.

    1. LinkOfHyrule
      Coat

      Little Tykes play kitchen.

      No no no - its all about da a la Carte Kitchen with the Swiss roll drizzled with baked beans! Or it least it would be if it was 1987 still!

      Back to the main topic - so a nine year old girl is causing harm and distress is she? I take it her local council are planning the extradition charge to the US for terrorism against canteen food as we speak - or maybe they have decided to just drone her as it's now the in thing to do to terrorists and those that cause harm and distress to society and interfere with the functioning of the state!

      What a bunch of losers!

    2. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

      Re: Distress & Harm

      "which was getting a kickback for awarding that catering contract"

      I think you've nailed it right down.

  13. Eponymous Cowherd
    Facepalm

    Avoided criticism?

    "The Council has directly avoided any criticism of anyone involved in the ‘never seconds’ blog for obvious reasons despite a strongly held view that the information presented in it misrepresented the options and choices available to pupils"

    The only "obvious reasons" I can think of is that, while the Council believes the options and choices have been misrepresented they know that a Court of Law would think otherwise.

    The trouble with politicians is they never stop digging when they realise they are in a hole. Say hi to the Earth's core for me......

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Good grief

    Even a McDonalds burger looks better than that one ... and I wouldn't touch a McDonalds if you paid me.

    I agree with Mr C Hill, come the revolution make them pay for the bullet, before it's used of course.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good grief

      > Even a McDonalds burger looks better than that one ...

      And is probably cheaper? 99p?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good grief

      Instead of wasting bullets you could probably just get them to eat one of those meals.

  15. Trollslayer

    So the school approved...

    but the council thought there was something to hide?

    I hope the puiblicity get the charity (mary's Dinners) all the support it needs!

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Scottish diet

    That's good for a jock diet, there is a bit of green stuff on the plate.

    Deep fried pizza anyone ?

    1. DF118

      Re: Scottish diet

      Presumably you're English? Thought you lot took pride in the quality and incisiveness of your humour?

      1. pPPPP

        Re: Presumably you're English?

        Stereotype, but it's true more often than not. Not particularly funny, and a very old, weak joke, but true.

        Despit this, Scotland produces some great food. Just not a lot of salad.

        1. Danny 14

          Re: Presumably you're English?

          I grew up in dumfries and as I said earlier, that looks a lot better than the thin watery slop that i got as a school dinner when I was in primary school.

          If it couldnt be boiled to death is those huge aluminium cauldrons then it wasnt done. I do remember we did get a plate of salad once a month with a pork pie on it. Everyone ate the pork pie, egg and cheese and slung the rest.

  17. Cosmo
    Mushroom

    Reminds me of the rhyme

    School dinners, school dinners

    Concrete chips, concrete chips

    Soggy semolina, soggy semolina

    I feel sick, I feel sick

    1. Captain Hogwash
      WTF?

      Re: Reminds me of the rhyme

      Rhyme?

      1. pPPPP

        Re: Rhyme?

        Dinners rhymes with dinners

        chips rhymes with chips

        semolina rhymes with semolina

        sick rhymes with sick.

        And there you have it. Children aren't known for their poetic prowess.

        I'm sure we used to try and insert toilet talk into that song, but I can't for the life of me remember how. But then again, i can barely remember last week, let alone 30 years ago.

        1. Burch

          Re: Rhyme?

          Toilet quick

          I feel sick

          It's too late

          I've done it on the plate

    2. Eponymous Cowherd
      Thumb Up

      Re: Reminds me of the rhyme

      Works if put to the melody of Frère Jacques

  18. Trollslayer
    Thumb Up

    Just donated

    I have give £10 to Mary's Meals - a good cause with a good supporter at that school!

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    they never learn

    find themselves in the hole and... start digging, deeper and deeper, furiously, and with the most ridiculous tools, like a toothbrush up their arse. I bet they'll soon, faced with "general public outrage" send some poor "spokesperson" to apologize to the family and issue a statement that their position has been mis-interpreted and mis-represented, etc,etc.

    and, by the way, is it one of those "healthy" meals on that plate? Yum-me! :/

  20. jai

    what are they complaining about?

    that's a lolly she's got there for desert! a lolly!! ffs!!!

    why's she comlpaining? we never got lollies at our canteen when i were a lad at school. it was always horrible unidentifiable stale pudding of some kind drowned cold custard. i would have killed for a lolly!

    kids these days, tsk, [cue Monty Python....]

  21. Aqua Marina

    7 digit pageviews right now.

    Someone tell the council about the Streissand effect.

    1. Captain TickTock
      Thumb Up

      Re: 7 digit pageviews right now.

      If The page view number is updating in realtime, 10 hits/seconds

  22. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Oh well, busts the theory

    that this was a cunning ploy by Argyll & Bute to sell themselves. They are certainly making an impression, but I don't think it's what they intended.

  23. Aqua Marina
    Happy

    Where do I buy that food???

    Just followed the Marys Meals links and read up. It costs £10 to feed a child for a year. Where can I buy this food, £30 and I'm sorted for the year.

  24. BrucieXX

    What concerns me, is that primary school are given the option to eat junk food. Its OK to give them an ice lolly and burger, as there was the option of an 'all you can eat salad bar'. These are small children - given the option of course most of them will eat the high in sugar and fat food.

    If my child went to this school i would be fuming, and the catering staff, teachers and councillors should be disgraced of themselves.

    1. Danny 14
      Stop

      I have kids at school, the school menu is published and rotates over 2 weeks (9 day option). They are allowed a "junk" option once a week (burgers for our little uns) and chips one day. The rest is pasta, rice, pie, sausage and mash, jacket potatoes. Veg with every meal and fruit as an option daily.

      I have brought up my children to appreciate fruit and vegetables as a normal part of their eating as such even the 5 year old picks up fruit to eat (not just in school but in cafe's too).

      Whilst not the best looking thing in the world there is a hell of a lot worse and I would like to see both sides of the story (and the menus) before I jump on the venom wagon.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "The rest is pasta, rice, pie, sausage and mash, jacket potatoes."

        So not particularly healthy either, then?

  25. danemodsandy
    FAIL

    Bah!

    The council are saying choices include things like 'meat or vegetarian lasagne served with carrots and garlic bread or chicken pie with puff pastry, mashed potato and mixed vegetables,' but what the photo shows is a very small hamburger, two potato croquettes, three slices of cucumber and an ice lolly. With a disparity that wide between advertisement and reality, small wonder the council has moved to stop the child.

    1. Helena Handcart

      Re: Bah!

      I wonder if it's the catering company who are telling the council that it's all vegetarian lasagne, while trousering the difference. Corporate catering in schools? Yes please!

    2. Corinne
      FAIL

      Re: Bah!

      There's lasagne and then there's lasagne, there's chicken pie & then there's chicken pie.

      From the picture in the previous article I had a problem working out that the strange flat brownish thing was supposed to be pizza. I've seen (and eaten) burgers that bear virtually no resemblance to the one in the picture for this article. 3 slices of cucumber could be described very loosly as "salad" - especially if there were other offerings available on the salad bar, however inedible they may have been (brown slimy lettuce, the same bowl of tomatoes that was offered the previous day etc).

      1 scoop of "smash" made with no butter and dried out through being sat under a heat lamp isn't really any more appetising than those croquettes, and cheap tinned or frozen mixed vegetables can be pretty revolting. A small brick of rock hard bread that's been baked to death with a drizzle of artificial garlic flavoured oil isn't exactly haute cuisine either.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I suggest that -

    - the council hire this 9-year-old to handle their public relations. She's clearly better at it than them.

  27. Lee Dowling Silver badge

    Oh, to be a fly on the wall in next week's staff meeting.

    And I'd love to see them televise Monday morning's assembly now.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A Payne in the Bute

    It's the Sandwich Cookoos!

    Run!

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Another triumph for devolution

    In England it would be *illegal* to serve a child the lunch shown in that picture.

    http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/2359/contents/made

    1. Gav
      Holmes

      Re: Another triumph for devolution

      You think it's different in Scotland?

      http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/05/17090/21740

      But if the child won't put the food on their plate what are you supposed to do?

      1. GettinSadda

        Re: Another triumph for devolution

        That's different - the first link is "The Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007" but the second is "Practical Guidance for those involved in the preparation of school meals"

    2. Danny 14

      Re: Another triumph for devolution

      not necessarily. There is (allegedly) a salad bar which probably has fruit on it. The legislation only says the school should provide. Provide can involve selection.

  30. Ian Johnston Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    Typical Scottish council

    Doesn't know what "refute" means, and in particular that it involves the use of evidence.

    1. Ben Liddicott
      Headmaster

      Re: Typical Scottish council

      In British usage, "refute" can mean simply "deny" without use of evidence.

      http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/refute?q=refute

      Second meaning.

      This is not the case in the USA, so if you looked it up on Dictionary.com you need to scroll down to the Collins definition to see it.

  31. John Lawton

    According to a live interview with the council on BBC Radio 4 The World at One, the ban has been rescinded.

    1. JimmyPage Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Which *should* raise more questions

      If the ban has been rescinded, then why was it there in the first place ? Or more precisely. Why was there no ban. Then a ban. Then no ban.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I agree with most of you!

    I had a run in with my sons school for putting Tuna as a vegetarian option. As it turned out they listened to me and the wifey and we regularly consult with the head and the catering staff. Some schools are happy for a voice, and some councils are not.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So are you one of those idiots who "persuades" their child to become vegetarian without giving them a choice?

      1. skeptical i

        ??? I read the original post as being more about misrepresentation.

        If someone offers vegetarian (or gluten-free or kashrut or ...) meals, they should be what the seller says they are. Period. Those who do not want to prepare them correctly should not offer them. In this case, it sounded like the school was clueless and willing to learn, the poster was willing to teach, and the sprogs get (one hopes) more better variety of healthful food -- win all 'round, no?

        Heaven knows too many kids are getting corporate sludge shovelled at them at early ages and continue these habits into an unhealthy adulthood (that increases healthcare costs for We the Taxpayers). Not sure why youths who take nutrition and food seriously should incite derisive comments, AC 22:53.

  33. Only me!
    Facepalm

    Several Points

    1. What about the distress to the child after all of this?

    2. Do they really serve this to kids?

    3. If the council says it does not represent the food on offer......get them to take the same type picture of the choice available and let us decide who is telling the truth.

    4. Is this why kids go to the chip shop?

    5. Vote the buggers out asap!!!

  34. mark1978

    The ban has now been lifted- as reported by BBC News

  35. tommitytom
    WTF?

    Did anybody actually read the blog? People seem to be assuming that she's being negative about the food, but she actually seems pretty positive! Most of what I read she gave a rating of at least 7/10! Seems ridiculous that they would try and silence someone who gives mostly positive reviews...

    1. EyeCU

      I did read the blog

      And found it just made the councils decision even more ridiculous. Glad they have u-turned on it now.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The council's beef seems to be with a newspaper article about her blog, which printed a picture of the food and suggested that the dinner ladies should be sacked.

  36. CarlC

    And they U turn

    Just caught the end of an Interview on Radio 4 - The World At One, looks like the Council has reversed its ruling

  37. This post has been deleted by its author

  38. Alister

    blogger was causing 'distress and harm' to Canteen staff

    What about the distress and harm caused by eating the sad apology for a meal?

    Nice head in the sand there, Argyll and Bute...

  39. Skizz

    Distressing?

    "was misrepresenting her school dinners and distressing the canteen staff"

    I think the distress was caused by the council forcing the canteen staff to serve up the food rather than the blog (which, from what I've read, never criticised the staff). I think that, deep down, those canteen staff would prefer to serve up better food (as seen in Mr Oliver's school food series if I remember correctly).

    It's such a shame that now the school food campaign is no longer headline news (as it was when the TV series was on) they think it's OK to go back to the easy, old ways.

  40. jonathanb Silver badge
    Happy

    The ban has now been lifted

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18454800

    It didn't take long.

    1. Fr Barry
      Thumb Up

      Re: The ban has now been lifted

      I was just going to say that!

  41. Graham Marsden
    Thumb Up

    The council have just backed down...

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18454800

  42. billse10
    Megaphone

    ban overturned

    From BBC:

    In a statement released on its website, Argyll and Bute Council claimed media coverage of the blog had led catering staff to fear for their jobs.

    "However this escalation means we had to act to protect staff from the distress and harm it was causing."

    So - council decides distress to staff (of which no proof provided) is more important than free speech, can't go risking the public seeing what the council does, now, can we? Ban first, ask questions later.

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ban lifted

    The BBC are reporting that the ban has been lifted, and the girl is now free to resume taking photos of her meals.

    I'm not sure, but it may have been a court who overturned this.

    1. jonathanb Silver badge

      Re: Ban lifted

      It was the lead councillor who ordered the ban to be overturned.

  44. Magnus_Pym

    Options include...

    My were at primary school a few years ago and the council signed a 15 year contract to a privatise the school dinner provision. Only those at the front of the queue got the 'options' the vast majority got 'what was left'.

    1. AnonymousNow

      Re: Options include...

      And tellingly, it gives individual public servants great power to sell out such programs, to the pubic detriment.

      Can't believe you guys in the UK are now also contracting out your police force. Whether the intention is to strip pensions of police officers or to put money in the pockets of individual public servants who sell such public contracts to private corporations, this will end badly.

  45. The BigYin

    MisrepresentatioN/ How?

    Kid gets meal.

    Kid photos meal.

    Kid (with some help) writes it up.

    No where on the blog did I see "Dinner lady Ms Foobar is a big poop-head!" or anything like that and some of her meals (a minority) did not look too bad. The paled into insignificance compared to the European/Asian ones (the USA ones looked terrible).

    if the council do not want their tender little employees to be "distressed" perhaps that had better stop getting them to server sub-standard nosh?

    Wankers.

  46. Don Jefe
    Meh

    Phones & Cameras

    The food certainly doesn't look like much. More like display food on the counter on a curb side cart.

    That being said though, WTF do kids need phones/cameras at school for anyway? I got on just fine without them as did my entire generation.

    My nine year old daughter isn't allowed to own a mobile at all. She's at the top of her class, wonder if its connected?

    1. JimmyPage Silver badge
      Mushroom

      well

      in this case, I would say the young lady in question has just demonstarted a gold-plated reason why phones and cameras *should* be allowed in school. She's made a cracking job of using all the tools available to her (which back in 1975, at her age, weren't even dreamt of) to engage with the world in a mature, considered way. Her parents should be rightly proud. Whilst it would be a bit cheesy (unlike the dinners) I hope she gets a chance to stand alongside some photo-seeking politicians, so we can see a glimmer of hope for the future.

      £10 duly donated.

    2. Oliver Mayes

      Re: Phones & Cameras

      She states on her blog that it isn't a phone, she was taking a small camera in with her specifically to take these photos for her reports.

  47. John A Blackley

    In fact

    (as if that had anything to do with an El Reg story but here goes anyway), the child's reviews of her school lunches were generally popular (the worst review she gave a lunch was 4 out of 10 and that was very rare).

    The 'problem' arose when Scotland's Daily Record headlined the story with 'Sack The Dinner Lady!'. Now the Daily Record is to the news what excreta is to food but it is the largest circulation toilet paper in Scotland.

    As it happens the MP for the girl's constituency is Scotland's Education Minister and he has described the council's edict as, "Daft." He is now "in talks" with the council and asking them to "reconsider their options".

    1. Mike Flex

      Re: In fact

      > The 'problem' arose when Scotland's Daily Record headlined the story with 'Sack The Dinner Lady!'.

      Well, so the council claimed but the story seems to be invisible to both Google and the Daily Record's own site search. Do you have a link to it?

      1. John A Blackley

        Re: In fact

        The article is no longer available on the Daily Record website and the Record coyly refers to "newspaper reports".

        About standard for that rag.

      2. vagabondo

        @Mike Flex Re: In fact

        > Do you have a link to it?

        The Daily Record is a tabloid print newspaper/scandal sheet. You would have to either ask one of your neighbors if they have a copy or try a real library (one with paper books and newspapers, etc.).

        Of course they are not going to continue publicizing an invented story/headline/agitation after its veracity has been questioned by the BBC and reputable press. It's called damage limitation.

  48. The BigYin

    Argyle and Bute Statement

    Read it here.

    1. Tim Jenkins

      Re: Argyle and Bute Statement

      Even more astounding; a sensible, measured and reasonable response from an elected official to an internet sh*tstorm. This story gets better and better...

  49. The BigYin

    And ban now lifted?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18454800

  50. Kingprawn
    Childcatcher

    Spycam...

    I think we should all chip in and get her a top of the line spycam.

  51. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shows the level of interest...

    The website with the official statement is currently unavailable.

  52. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    over £10000

    That is now over £25000 and rising...so has it more than doubled in one day!?

  53. John WWW

    Argyll & Bute council has history - the 'communications chief' recently gortherself suspended by boasting at a conference about how she spies on council critics using fake social media accounts http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16991417. I don't think there is a more inward looking and paranoid local council in the country. George Orwell wrote 1984 whilst staying in Argyll, and the local theory is that the council uses that book as its operations manual.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Am I the only one who doesn't quite understand the shit storm about the social media spying thing? Unless what she was doing was creating fake personas and interacting with people on a friendship sort of level, betraying their trust etc. in order to gather intelligence. That would be fairly reprehensible. If she just made some accounts and joined some "Argyll and Bute council suck ass" Facebook groups then I'm not sure I see the problem. Got links to an more info?

  54. AnonymousNow

    Methinks the emperor wears no clothes.

    Also, it looks like we are reaching a point where taking any photograph critical of any establishment actor will be made a felony.

  55. AnonymousNow

    Food looks like crap, no wonder.

  56. Rampant Spaniel

    Breaking news...

    Virtually everyone on el reg in agreement! It's genuinely inspiring to see so many people concerned about kids wellbeing. If the council can screw up so badly we all agree, they should be worried.

  57. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Photoshop

    If this was Scotland wouldn't the cucumber be deep fried?

    Anyway 5different colours on the lolly count as your 5 portions

  58. Sacioz
    Thumb Up

    Have mercy on us , said the poor kids

    Miserere nobis , fer sure...

  59. Camilla Smythe

    When I wert Lad

    Back in '69 at the age of sevenish, in Scotland, we got handed 'proper' grub on proper plates and dishes at Skool along with gert big Jugs of Gravy and Custard for Free... and a third pint of milk mid morning.

    Now you have to pay £2.00 for a plastic plate partially infected with tuppence worth of nutritional negligence.

    Huh?

    Is Jamie Oliver bonking Martha Lane Fox?

    Won't someone think of the children.

  60. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    For some reason

    On reading of the council's behaviour, I couldn't help thinking of the first line of Ian Dury's "Plaistow Patricia" - check it out (you know you're going to).

  61. Paul 195
    Megaphone

    I heard said councillor on news at 1.00 today

    As he announced the unbanning. He sounded rational, calm and sensible, and felt that it had been an overreaction to ban the photos in the first place. Who would ever be a councillor, eh? Whatever they do, some bastard somewhere says they are doing it all wrong, they're petty, narrow-minded, etc. The poor sods do it for nothing, they give up their free time for it, an all they get is a load of...

    1. John A Blackley

      Re: I heard said councillor on news at 1.00 today

      "The poor sods do it for nothing."

      Argyle councillors are paid sixteen thousand pounds a year.

  62. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just wondering

    Are their any blogs showing hospital food? From what I hear, it's often not a lot better.

  63. Alan Brown Silver badge

    16k/year

    Not a pittance, but that's only worth about 9 hours/week to me (or less)

    How much effort do you get out of your councillors for 16k/year? (and what kind of person will do the job for 16k?)

  64. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Maybe it's time for Martha...

    ...to find out what it's like to cook for hundreds of thankless fools everyday? A few weeks on kitchen duty might educate the charming child on what life is like in the real world. No blogging until she's done a month of kitchen meal prep.

    1. Inselaf
      Mushroom

      Re: Maybe it's time for Martha...

      Your nickname does you more than justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      In this day & age we hear & read about the children & youth of today show far to little gumption. Here is the case of Martha doing just that & she is being taken to task for doing just that. At the same time she is raising money for far less better off children so that they may get at least a meal a day.

      She has been very imparticial in her blogs & on the whole has been very fair. May you should take the time out to read her blog!!! Then again, someone such as yourself would not really understand what her message is. That she is at the same time, helping others does not appear to interest you.

      Then maybe witless no brainers as yourself would not write such drivel. Get a life. Maybe go down to Africa & see what her efforts are helping to change. That though is as I do realize, would be far to much effort for someone with your level of intellect. People like you make not only ANGRY but make me want to vomit.

      P.S. Sarcasam is the lowest form of wit/humour & you have shown that with your posting today admirably!!

      1. Havin_it
        Headmaster

        Re: Maybe it's time for Martha...

        Inselaf,

        lrn(not)2ampersand, kthx

  65. Inselaf
    Unhappy

    What is being forgotten!!

    What has annoyed me about this whole matter is the fact that this wonderful & clever child is being basically punished for being honest. Also that she was raising money for a very deservable charity at the same time seems to be forgotten!!!!!!!!!!

    I also donate to this charity so I am all the more up in arms about the stance of the local Council. Still elections will be soon coming around & I have the hope that the voters make a clean sweep & vote these idiots out of office, before they do more damage.

    Talk about over reacting. She was posting/blogging very fairly. They should have taken the time out to read the blog themselves, then maybe they would have seen she was being very fair & honest in her judgements. At the same time raising money for other children very much in need of a decent meal.

    I am extremely angry to the point that I shall be writing to the Council to state my point of view. I live in Germany & this story is in a lot of newspapers & in television reports. Guess who is getting the sympathy??

  66. chris lively
    FAIL

    Lesson for the council...

    Kid takes photo and uploads to a blog that generally approves of the lunch she is served.

    Newspaper, on a slow news day, steals her story ( I'm sure the girl wasn't paid for her "help" in the story) and runs it with a purposefully inflammatory headline.

    Council doesn't read blog or news story, just the headline. Investigates best way to punish girl, decides he only thing they can do is ban photography without being sued.

    Ban makes news and expands story.

    Someone on the council ( or a person near to them ) actually reads the blog and facepalms.

    Backpedalling ensues.

    Things the council should take away from all of this:

    1. Never trust a news article. It's usually only a slanted part of reality. Most of us know this.

    2. Do what thousands of regular people do: check the sources before acting.

    3. Grow thicker skin.

  67. mhenriday
    Pint

    «Scots council: 9-yr-old lunch blogger was causing 'distress and harm'»

    Or, as Wellington put it in another parlous context, «... but, by God, they [i e, the photos] frighten me»....

    Henri

  68. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Lesson for Martha

    1. Be damn thankful that you have a good meal everyday

    2. Be damn thankful that you have a good education system to go to learn in

    3. Be damn thankful that other people provide your food while many folks are homeless and hungry

    4. Don't be such a spoiled brat who thinks they are entitled to everything

    5. Walk a mile in other people's shoes before you start complaining about the decent lunch you get

    1. Havin_it
      Flame

      Re: Lesson for Martha

      And if she follows all your rules and says her catechism, will she get a shilling?

      Suppose actually looking at her blog before spouting this crap was too much effort for you. There's a desk waiting for you at the Daily Record.

    2. Mr Common Sense
      WTF?

      Re: Lesson for Martha

      Pupils should put up with poor food because they're lucky they don't live in the third world,Is this a joke post with some odd humour I don't get.

  69. Boris S.

    Martha missed the boat

    She spends her time insulting the people who provide a nice lunch to her. This is very typical of many yoof who have little respect for others.

  70. Andus McCoatover
    Windows

    Jigger me sideways!

    4 pages of comments on a non-IT related article...

    OK, to continue the mindless ranting, does anyone remember having to tip the remainder of their dinners into the bin outside the school kitchen, labelled "Pig Swill"?

    Or, indeed, having to leave the house when my Mother cooked my Father his favourite dish of tripe and onions? Or getting VERY suspicious looks from Mum after having indulged in a pot of jellied eels?

  71. Alan Brown Silver badge

    "Pig Swill"

    Banned since the BSE issues of course.

    It's not a concidence that a lot of the outfits running school meals were also involved in pig farming. The more the kids threw out, the cheaper it was to feed the piggies.

    That kind of scam had been going on for decades.

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