Food Museum seeks help for school dinner exhibition

The Food Museum in Stowmarket is seeking help to launch a new exhibition highlighting the history and culture of school dinners

A museum is seeking help from the public to launch a new exhibition highlighting the history and culture of school dinners.

The Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk, is planning to launch the display in March 2025 and organisers said they wanted "to bring to life memories and tastes of school food, both good and bad".

The exhibition will look at issues like nutrition, the influence on popular culture, government policies and campaigns.

Organisers want to borrow objects from the public like lunchboxes, staff uniforms and menus and are appealing for people to get in touch.

Organisers at the Food Museum said the exhibition would take visitors on a "fascinating journey through the past, present, and future of school food" and they are now looking for objects to help bring the story of school dinners to life.

They are also seeking popular culture items where school dinners are featured, such as Olive the Dinner Lady from Beano or Horrid Henry and the Demon Dinner Lady.

A spokesperson for the museum said: "We also want to share school dinners from all around the world.

"We’re looking for objects relating to school dinners from outside of the UK, including packaging, lunch boxes and menus.

"This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a major exhibition and share your memories of school life."