If nostalgia was a dessert, it would be this. This delightful, retro treat is the most iconic dessert ever to have graced British school refectory tables.

The Provision of Meals Act in 1906 was designed to give free school meals to all children on the basis that if education was compulsory then it was only right for the state to provide a hot meal too. Originally, this free hot meal tended to be breakfast - porridge, bread with dripping and a glass of milk to wash it all down with.

Just before the end of the Second World War in 1944, it was made compulsory for local authorities to provide a balanced school dinner consisting of a protein, carbohydrate and vege with a pudding often made with milk or served with custard. Hardly anyone remembers the mains but the puds; frogspawn (tapioca), apple crumble, jam roly poly and rice pudding (with lots of skin and a dab of jam to make it pink) and in the late 60s arctic roll appeared on the scene followed by chocolate concrete and cornflake tart in the 70s.

When school meals went out to competitive tender in the 80s, the standard of food went down dramatically and new and unhealthy dishes were spawned such as those hellish turkey twizzlers. Everything came with chips and the bread triangles were now lashed with 'spread' instead of butter.

But one dessert that has stood the test of time is school dinner cake, a vanilla sponge topped with icing and topped with sprinkles and best served with pink custard. Easy to make and divine!