School Apologizes After Photos Of 'Disgraceful' Christmas Lunch Go Viral

Every so often in life, we're going to have to deal with some disappointments.

And my family has often found that the more we build up something in our heads, the more likely that disappointment is to follow. That's probably why so many people have reported feeling a little underwhelmed during what they anticipated to be the biggest moments of their lives and wondered what the big deal was when they visited famous tourist destinations.

But when disappointments takes us by surprise, that's when they tend to make the biggest impact on us. And that's likely part of why bad or overpriced food can seem like such an affront to us when we come across it.

That's certainly the reaction that one unfortunate school lunch received after it found its way online, at least.

On December 15, a parent named Ciaran Walsh made waves he didn't expect when he posted a photo of his child's special Christmas lunch on Twitter.

According to Insider, it was served here at Steyning Grammar School in West Sussex, England.

And while it led Walsh's amused Twitter followers to post their own school lunches, the meal particularly incensed a local Facebook group with more parents in it.

And as we can see here, that's because it looked closer to something you'd get at the Fyre Festival than anything actually festive.

As one parent put it, "Disgraceful. £3.50 for a roll, one bit of turkey, small bit of sausage and a bit of stuffing! And there was nothing else available for those who didn't chose Xmas lunch. Diabolical."

For reference, that amount translates to about $4.67.

Others in this Facebook group really got their roasts in, saying that the lunch resembled something from a biology class and that even airplane and prison food was better.

And before long, it was clear that school officials found this attention pretty embarrassing.

Although The Guardian reported that they initially said there would be no refunds and that most of the children enjoyed their meal, the school's tune eventually changed as the backlash grew.

And so a representative announced that there would be refunds, adding, "I would like to unreservedly apologise for this situation."

They also said that the food wasn't up to the school's usual standard, but that their catering had been impacted by supply chain issues and staff shortages related to COVID-19.

For his own part, Walsh was forgiving and said that his child is otherwise happy with their "decent" school.

As he put it, "This lunch was obviously not their finest hour but we all get things wrong sometimes, please don’t be too harsh!"

h/t: Insider