Do you remember the faces behind your school dinners? The cooks and servers who brought humor, kindness and, when necessary, a stern word to lunch?

The Food Museum is seeking school dinner staff to participate in a photoshoot that will celebrate those who served us as part of their new major exhibition School Dinners, opening 29 March 2025 and running until 21 February 2027.

School dinners are never forgottenSchool dinners are never forgotten (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) The Food Museum’s Curator Katherine Bridges said: “We wouldn’t have school dinners without the staff that make them. Many people remember the staff who served them lunch and so we want to put those people at the heart of our exhibition.”

The School Dinners exhibition, in partnership with Quadram Institute, Norse Catering, Museum of the Home, School Meals Service Project and more, will take visitors on a nostalgic journey through the past, present and future of school food, inviting them discover more about the meals and the people who make them.

The exhibition will feature tastings, fascinating displays and opportunities for visitors to share their thoughts.

Would you be able to give an hour of your time for a photoshoot to feature in the museum’s new exhibition?

The Food Museum is inviting dinner staff to get in touch, or the public to nominate dinner staff (with their consent!).

To get involved, contact the Food Museum at schooldinners@foodmuseum.org.uk or find out more about the exhibition at https://foodmuseum.org.uk/events/school-dinners/

The Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk is the UK’s only museum dedicated to food. Its mission is to connect people with where their food comes from and the impact of our choices on the environment, society, health and wellbeing: past, present and future.