Tuck Boxes... please explain to me what in the world these are for.

[CoastalMummy]

Just as the title says. What is a tuck box used for and do I genuinely need to spend £100 on one?

My son and the others in his house had a small “tuck cupboard” that he was able to put a padlock on. I used to supply him with things like custard creams, Bourbon biscuits, crisps, bags of sweets like Haribo and small cartons of orange juice. If he wanted other stuff he would let me know.
Not sure how it works in other boarding schools as that is my only experience.

Have you never read any Enid Blyton?
They're for food treats.

Absolutely! The only thing that ever confused me about a St Clare’s/Mallory Towers tuck box was why someone had a ‘jam sandwich’ in hers. Took years and Mary Berry for the penny to drop that she had a Victoria sponge, not two bits of Hovis.

If it’s on the list, you’ll need one because most if not all of the others will have them. They’re for non perishable food, like biscuits and sweets. There’ll probably be a time when the kids are allowed to eat stuff from them. Make sure you keep a spare key at home…

Are you supposed to spend £100 on the box or the contents?! What do they look like? Mmm... I always wanted a tuck box (too many boarding school books!)

My daughter has recently got in to Enid Blyton and I had to explain the concept of boarding school (she’s 6). She hated the idea initially. Until she found out about tuck boxes, and is now keen to go asap 😂

Penny had just dropped for me re jam sandwiches too. Until I just read this post I assumed it was just a normal jam sandwich too - assumed jam might have been hard to come by in post war Britain and therefore a real treat, like tinned peaches and sardines 😂

They are really harking back to a bygone age of boarding schools when pupils were fed character-building 'food' (that was given some fairly obscene nicknames), with a form of rationing in play, and they did not necessarily have their own well-supplied daily tuck shops let alone the vending machines that some schools now have.

Parents would be able to send in limited supplies of treats to boost morale a little between exeats, half-terms and holidays, especially for the younger ones.

Even at mine in the 1970s 'tuck boxes' per se were dying out and considered a bit 'naff', as pupils' pocket money allowances were increased and we were allowed access to town shops on walks. Pupils usually just had a biscuit tin (or 'biscuit barrel') with a few favourite things in, that they agonised over actually eating because everyone was always on a diet and it was fashionable to feel faint in lessons.

We seemed to do games, PE, dance or some other physical activity daily (including weekends) so we were always hungry.

Oh dear. I haven't read Mallory Towers or alike. Clearly I haven't prepared myself appropriately for this boarding school journey.

Given that it is just a locked box for sweets and treats, I shan't be spending £100 on one from Mossman Trunks. My poor deprived child shall have to go without.

@CoastalMummy depending on the school set up they might not need one.

Our school has a tuck shop that runs like an adult cafe/convenience store and spending is added to the bill. Plus the pub for the sixth formers. And from 16 they are allowed into the village to the Spa.

I had one in the late 90s but it certainly won’t have been a £100 one! Any box was fine and we didn’t lock them. We’d ration out our tuck to last the whole half term/ til exeat. We were allowed to go to the shop though although no one had debit cards in those days so you’d have to ration out your cash too. I always had a really good tuck box and my friends said I was spoiled even though we were probably the poorest ones there (my parents were working abroad).I’m

I’d say that’s sensible, even a large Tupperware box would do!

Well I must be honest, I'm really glad that I wrote this thread because it didn't occur to me to send him in with sweets/treats etc. We didn't do it at his prep school so this wasn't on my periphery. Thank you MN!

They're for storing lashings of ginger beer

When I was at boarding school it was a large tin that you could lock. We were allowed to have £5 worth of sweets in the box and the matron kept the boxes. Every evening you were allowed to take a sweet from your box eat.

I’d try to find out what the other kids take so yours can fit in

It’s a lockable box. I had a few edible treats in mine (marmite, a bottle of Ribena…) but also used it to keep valuable / precious things safe. I still have it. It’s currently acting as my bedside table.

Well now I've had to have a look at Mossman trunks and was thoroughly amused to discover you can have your front bottom embossed 😂.

Well I was today years old... 😝

I think they are useful TBH - not just for food, but for anything they might like kept locked away. Anything precious or personal.

Mine is in use as a coffee table!

Ahhh I still have my tuck box from boarding school in the late 1970s. It’s moved house with me about 28 times, is full of crap childhood memories and is still rock solid and a bloody sturdy lockbox.

Shame my trunk went AWOL, that was also brilliant.

My god I have only just realised this!! I suppose every day is a (boarding ) school day!

I’m torn between feeling glad I wasn’t alone and fearing I might be wrong 🤣🤣