Top girls' school ridiculed for 'Austerity Day' lunch that served up baked beans and potatoes

One of the country’s leading girls' schools has been criticised for holding an “Austerity Day” lunch where their usual Confit Duck was swapped for baked beans and potatoes.

St Paul’s Girls School (SPGS) in Hammersmith, west London, was ridiculed for serving “what basically amounts to a standard school dinner” as part of the event.

The £25,000-a-year school, which counts the actress Rachel Weisz and the author Dodie Smith among its alumnae, announced on social media that “today was the final Austerity Day of the year”.

The Twitter post, which has since been deleted, said: “Students and staff had baked potatoes, with beans and coleslaw, for lunch, with fruit for dessert.” The money saved will be donated to the school’s charities, the school added. 

The school was mocked on social media, with Georgia O’Brien, a campaigns officer at the human rights charity Reprieve writing: “One of the country's leading independent schools holding an ‘Austerity Day’ where students eat what is basically amounts to a standard state school dinner.”  

Henna Shah added: “The idea that this is something to show off about is very grating and uncomfortable. Particularly when there are lots of girls who go home to food not nearly as fancy.”  

According to a sample menu published on the school’s website, pupils are usually treated to a vast array of dishes ranging from Duck Leg Confit served with braised red cabbage creamed mash potatoes to  Malaysian Snapper Curry with okra and tomato.

Desserts include Raspberry Bakewell Tart, Chocolate Delice, homemade yogurt, and freshly cut fruit.

 A spokesman for SPGS said: “For many years, along with many schools and places of worship in the country, St Paul’s has arrange regular lunches when simple food is served and the money saved given to local charities.   

“The aim is also to raise the awareness of our students to those less fortunate than themselves. We take our commitment to the wider community very seriously. 

"The choice of the word ‘austerity’ is to draw attention to the fact that others around them are facing significant economic difficulties.”