The Food Museum is delighted to announce that its School Dinners exhibition was announced the winner of the Food on Display category at the 2026 British Library Food Season Awards, one of four categories celebrating the most exciting and impactful work in food writing, curation and culture across the United Kingdom.
The 2026 Food Season Awards were announced at a special ceremony at the British Library’s Knowledge Centre on Tuesday 16 June. The award comes hot on the heels of School Dinners being named the Best Temporary Exhibition of the year at the national Museums + Heritage Awards back in May.
The Food on Display Award celebrates community galleries, exhibitions, museums and libraries for ‘the most innovative and engaging deployment of food in on-site or online exhibitions.’
The judges said: ‘The Food Museum’s exhibition does an incredible job of telling a rich, emotive and at times surprising story of school dinners by activating visitor memory through lively displays and opportunities to taste.’
Open now at the Food Museum, School Dinners takes visitors on a nostalgic journey through the history of school food in the UK and beyond. From semolina and sponge pudding to turkey twizzlers and lumpy custard, the exhibition brings to life the memories, recipes, retro lunchboxes, celebrity campaigns and memorabilia that have shaped popular culture, the exhibition also explores the lives of the people behind the meals, the dinner ladies, campaigners and policymakers who have shaped what children eat. Developed in collaboration with over 35 organisations and individuals, including the Quadram Institute and the School Meals Service Project, as well as academic institutions, community groups and food experts.
The School Dinners exhibition was made possible through support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and exhibition sponsor Thomas Ridley.
The School Dinners exhibition runs until 2027 and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm. For more information, visit www.foodmuseum.org.uk/events/school-dinners/