Why can’t they have basic fish?

[PleasePassTheCoffeeThanks]

School dinners. My DC never seem to have fish that is not deep fried, battered or hidden in a dish (covered in mash and/or sauce, broken down in small pieces).
Why can’t it be simply pan fried or steamed?
It is almost as if we don’t want DC to «see» the fish.
AIBU?

I’m 40ish. I like fish. I wouldn’t go for school canteen bouillabaisse.

Maybe some sort of stew but with chunks of fish?

Do you dislike children OP?

UK fishing industry meet your UK consumers, are you sure it's all the EU;s fault ?

It’s easy to steam/pan fry it at home or in a restaurant- not in a school kitchen or canteen. In many schools food is delivered from a nearby larger school and reheated - not great for plain fish.

I wouldn't eat fish stew or soup. They have to go for something the majority will eat really and quite a few children are fussy about herbs etc

I can't think of anything worse; the school would stink with fish being kept warm. Just last week my HoD reheated a fish pie in the microwave and swarms of kids complained (along with comedy wretching). And I also threatened to throw out the poor microwave unless he cleaned it!

Send them to the ega school in north london-according to masterchef they cook fresh every day

i still dont believe them

@Breathlessness - school canteen bouillabaisse - that is the most horrible thought.

Fish stew? In a school canteen?

Can you imagine the smell...

The smell of a diner hall full of steamed few stew

*steamed fish stew!

Oh well, ok it looks like it is unanimous then.

I’ll come back another day with another bright idea to make the world better, in the meantime fish fingers it is

My ds loves curry they made it homemade at Nursery but sadly not at school.

Also, growing children need calories, carbohydrates. Steamed fish with vegetables and even a side serving of potatoes would have them all drooping by 2pm

I do understand what you’re saying OP but for it to happen you’d first need meals to be cooked on site with enough in the budget to cover quality ingredients and qualified staff to cook them.

The only places I've ever seen children eat fresh fish with relish is a whole fish crunched up by even tiny tots in restaurants in Spain .

I’m fascinated that so many people say they wouldn’t eat fish stew. Are these people who don’t like fish? Or is it possible to like fish and not like bouillabaisse? I can understand not liking fish....well, I can’t, but I know so many people who don’t so I know they exist......

Maybe some sort of stew but with chunks of fish? Or fish soup?
🤢
Even mid 40’s I would rather have a fish finger butty over fish stew- even imagining the smell make me feel ill and I happily have baked salmon twice a week!

Fish is lovely but some hate it. My partner cant stand fish, the smell or look. Probably just trying to cater to the majority

“whole fish crunched up by even tiny tots in restaurants in Spain .”

Boccadillos- but not spelled like that. Forrin whitebait. In my experience children love whitebait unless their grownups tell them they don’t.

Work in school... fish is always battered or breaded. Obviously it’s easier to cook. Alas cooking fresh fish and serving it in the quantities involved would be difficult, however fish pie or fish stew / bouillabaisse would be possible. However, most children are not exposed to freshly cooked fish and are only ever exposed to battered or neon crumbed fish pieces .
Grilled mackerel would be easy enough but parents would quickly complain as the children would refuse it. I really despair on this issue. In the sixties, you ate what you were given. In the seventies, you ate what you were given but was generally high fat. In the eighties you ate what you stropped over. In the nineties it was ‘anything ‘ with chips. In the noughties it was anything as long as it what was dictated by a child. Now , it’s not much at all because of allergies, veganism, sensory issues, textural issues, ‘anything’ you care to strop over.
Yes I totally understand allergies and food preferences but we are now faced with legion young folk who wouldn’t tolerate a casserole, grilled fish, a vegetable tart , roast chicken portions or anything ( veg) that was multi coloured. Yes I understand that many folk wish to be vegan and that there are ( increasingly?) more children who have food issues but I don’t understand the need to only eat beige food.
The amount of food thrown away in school is horrific ( if only parents truly knew how little their children ate!)
I really never got the idea of going out to eat at a restaurant that served lovely food but children had their own menu of chicken nuggets and chips, sausages and chips, fish fingers and chips. In Europe , children just eat smaller portions of the actual menu or what your parents offer you ( unless you’re on an all inclusive package tour)
Am reclining to prepare to be flamed .

BertrandRussell I like fish but fish stew wouldn't be my first choice...it's too fishy! I like things where the fish/seafood is served with something contrasting - eg, calamari and a big salad, tuna and cucumber baguette, soy salmon with rice and veg.

I don't know how to link from my phone but I'm having a great time looking at school meals from around the world atm.

Fish pie is the boak.

I’m fascinated that so many people say they wouldn’t eat fish stew.

A nice fish casserole cooked by an attentive chef is a very different proposition to school lunch fish stew.

To be fair that’s what me and my sister did growing up @1morewineplease - want us to make the green Thai less spicy? No thanks 😍🔥😅