The Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk, has recently opened a new and engrossing two-year exhibition called “School Dinners.” This exhibition of images illustrates the radical transformation of school meals from the 1940s to today. The free exhibition encourages visitors to consider the legacy of school dinners and their role in shaping several generations of young people. The exhibition, which is set to run through February 2027, is sure to be an eye-opening and heartwarming experience for visitors of all ages.
The “School Dinners” exhibition tracks the evolution of school meals through the years. Visitors will explore the world of school dinners. Along the way, they’ll learn about the policies that created their meals and the larger societal issues that complicate access to food. From menus originating in Norfolk during the 1940s to contemporary school food initiatives, the exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of this vital aspect of childhood.
In the process, participants will have the chance to taste celebrated school supper classics. They’ll be able to enjoy delights such as semolina with pink custard and indeed, turkey twizzlers! Like almost anything else involving nostalgia, this interactive element is a joy to explore. It’s reminiscent of what most people felt when they were in school.
The museum encourages community involvement by inviting visitors to contribute personal artifacts related to school dinners, such as lunchboxes and staff uniforms. This storytelling project is designed to further deepen this exhibition and help animate the special stories of school meals.
Katherine Bridges, the museum curator, emphasized the importance of understanding the historical context of school meals, stating, “Starting with the 1940s with menus from Norfolk, they will be able to learn about the history of the school meals policy and poverty behind it, through to the young voices involved in school food today and the dinner staff who make school food possible.”
Chloe Brett, from the museum’s visitor services, highlighted the universal connection to school meals: “I think it’s something that we all understand, you go through school, have either school dinners or your packed lunches, and those memories are really strong and they follow us into adulthood.”
The significance of school dinners resonates with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who recalls her experience: “My abiding memory of school dinners is sadly custard with the thick skin on and orange fish fingers.”
Museum director Jenny Cousins addressed the deeper implications of school meals: “It’s a serious topic because really the history of school dinners is the history of why we feed children at school. It’s the history of what kind of society we want to create. How you value food as a child is what you take through to adulthood, it makes a difference to your health, it makes a difference to the state that we have.”
The exhibition recognizes pivotal moments in the history of school meals, such as Jamie Oliver’s 2005 campaign, Feed Me Better, which led to the establishment of the School Food Trust—now known as the Children’s Food Trust. This effort catalyzed a major shift in how schools think about and serve food.
