3,000 people took part in the online poll that voted this the nation's number one favourite school dinner. Really? We at the Guardian remember when it was all cherryade, chips and jelly. Things must really have improved drastically in the past 20 years – perhaps Jamie Oliver made a difference after all ... Photograph: Steve Cavalier/Alamy
And the nation's number one pud. Roast and sponge with custard? It's so boringly traditional one would imagine the nation's schoolchildren still dress in flatcaps and hobnail boots, and walk to school listening to Jerusalem on their iPods. Nothing if not a victory for the Eurosceptics, then. Photograph: foodfolio/Alamy
Pipped to the post, the bangers take the number two position alongside apple crumble and custard for dessert. Forever synonymous with school canteen meals due to the sausage stealing antics within the classic opening credits of Grange Hill. Poor Danny Kendall - didn't stand a chance with that flipping Mr Bronson on his case the whole time Photograph: Alamy
This is more like it – a little bit of European glamour! Photograph: travelib prime/Alamy
Bronze place for pudding goes to the red swirl with the crushed digestive base. Who wants seconds? Meeeeeeee!!!!! Photograph: David Curtis/Alamy
'Til we have built Jerusalem / In England's green and pleasant land ...' Photograph: mediablitzimages/Alamy
Fourth place for polyfiller with jam splurge? That's the school dinners we all know and love! Photograph: foodfolio/Alamy
An interesting choice – not least because many schoolchildren will still be living off spag bol a decade later as university students (due to it being possibly the easiest meal there is to cook, while still retaining an air of sophistication) Photograph: Martin Lee/Rex Features
Once upon-a-time synonymous only with grannies, tea cosies and Coronation Street, apparently these days even the yoof are partial to a slice of the good stuff Photograph: Nikreates/Alamy
There are schools that serve this? Enough of them to take it to number nine in the charts? The Ed Balls-versus-the-parents school places row makes so much more sense now Photograph: Alamy
A ruse aimed at sneaking salad into children beneath the Trojan horse of chicken. And it works Photograph: mediablitzimages/Alamy
