The awards, which were held on 13 May 2026 at the Hilton Park Lane, London are a celebration of the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions.

Thought to be the first exhibition in the UK dedicated entirely to school meals, School Dinners invites visitors to step back in time, grab their lunch tray, and enjoy a spoonful of nostalgia. From semolina and sponge pudding to Turkey Twizzlers and lumpy custard, the exhibition explores the tastes, stories and cultural legacy of school food – as well as the big questions it raises about poverty, politics and responsibility. The exhibition opened in April 2025 and runs until 2027.

“I am delighted that our exhibition has been recognised with a national award,” says Museum Director, Jenny Cousins “Most people have memories of school food, good or bad. But have they stopped to think about how what – and how – they were fed may have affected their life and relationship with food? The exhibition contains all the things that you will love, and love to hate, alongside some things that you may find surprising.”

The exhibition was developed in collaboration with over 35 organisations and individuals, including the Quadram Institute and the School Meals Service, as well as academic institutions, community groups, food experts and members of the public, bringing a breadth of voices and perspectives to the subject of school food.

School Dinners has been made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and exhibition sponsor Thomas Ridley Foodservice.

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The Food Museum is inviting tenders from filmmakers to create a series of films for The Kitchen Project –a major five-year transformation of our site, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Mid Suffolk District Council.

This commission will deliver new audiovisual content across three key spaces: The Barn, The Factory and The House. Together, the films will introduce visitors to the museum, explore how food is made and marketed, and reflect on food in the home – connecting everyday eating to wider social, cultural and environmental questions.

We’re looking for a creative team who can tell compelling, people-centred stories, work collaboratively, and communicate complex food systems clearly for diverse audiences, including families and schools.

Deadline for submissions: 14:00, 20 February 2026

For the full tender brief and submission details, click the following link: Food Museum Kitchen Project Filmmaker Tender

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This Grade II*-listed barn is the oldest original building in our care and parts of its timber frame are understood to date back to the 13th century, contemporary with the ownership of the manor of Stow being granted to the abbey of St Osyth. That makes it over 700 years old and Stowmarket’s oldest building.

While the barn’s heavily timbered interior creates a characterful space for everything from weddings and theatre performances to food festivals and community events, there’s been one significant drawback: it’s only really usable if it isn’t wet or cold! The roof leaks, the wind whistles through the holes in the weatherboarded walls, and we’ve even had visitors rained on during performances!

What’s Happening?

As part of The Kitchen Project, we’re weatherproofing the barn to make it more comfortable year-round whilst still retaining its character. The works include:

• Lifting off the roof tiles and putting in place a new membrane to ensure that the building is watertight
• Addressing areas where the timber has deteriorated
• Repairing and patching the historic weatherboarding
• Adding a new floor to protect the areas of original flooring, with vision panels so you can still see the original chalk and brick threshing floors beneath
• Installing secondary glazing at the entrances

We are doing this now to avoid the main bat roosting season, and the works will be complete in time for summer 2026

Why It Matters

The Barn is a precious building and we want to ensure that it remains in good condition for current and future generations to enjoy. The last time it had major works was in the 1980s and it is due some TLC.

When we have finished the works, we intend that the space will house an introductory film for the museum visit, as well as continuing to be used for events.

Being able to use the barn more often will bring real benefits. It means more events, more income to support the museum’s work, and a year-round venue for our community. We’re expecting to add around 20 additional bookings over the winter period, generating vital funds to support our conservation work and public programmes.

Best of all, we’re doing this work sensitively, keeping as much of the historic fabric as possible and ensuring that the barn’s wonderful character – the very thing that makes it so special – is preserved for future generations.

None of this work would be possible without the support of our major funders, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Mid Suffolk District Council. The work to the Barn is also supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation and The Pilgrim Trust.

Stay tuned for updates as the work progresses. We can’t wait to welcome you into a beautiful, dry barn for your next visit!

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Valen grew up in Hong Kong, a city where food is more than just sustenance — it’s a way of life. As she puts it: “We are so obsessed with food that we often find ourselves talking about dinner while still having lunch.” From after-school meet-ups in Chinese dessert shops to street food crawls with friends, and sharing takeaway fried rice with classmates, almost all of Valen’s cherished memories are food-centred.

Food has always fascinated her, not only as a source of comfort and joy, but also as a powerful way of connecting across generations. “In many cultures, including my own, preparing and sharing food has been a way for people to connect, support one another and pass down knowledge — especially women. Whether it’s cultural recipes, cooking tips, or simply stories shared over a meal, these moments in the kitchen create a strong sense of belonging and community.”

Since joining the museum, Valen has been introduced to parts of British food culture she had never considered growing up in a big city: foraging, seasonal eating and the preservation of regional produce and heritage recipes. It has deepened her appreciation for where food comes from and the pride and memory rooted in every ingredient.

For her recipe in the series, Valen turned to one of autumn’s most iconic ingredients: apples from the walled garden. She transforms them into a beautifully spiced topping for rich, golden French toast.

Click here for the recipe.

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Read about Anahita’s experience in her previous blog post here Exploring Accessible Cooking Tools – Food Museum 

“While planning objects to go into the Food not Cuts exhibition (Food Not Cuts – Food Museum), there were a couple of objects which caught my eye. I didn’t include them in the end, as they didn’t directly relate to the relationship between food, cooking and disability but I’d like to share them with you here: 

Metal Junk Sculpture – Person with Heart-Shaped Head (1960–1979)
Redvers Taylor (1900–1975)
Object number: STMEA:2001-34.4c 

As I looked through the sculptures by Redvers Taylor, I was struck again by how much I love his sculptures. They reveal such a deep connection between human form and industrial tools.  

Taylor’s work fascinates me – I’m not a sculptor myself, but as an artist I’m interested in the body, and in how disabled people are represented. One sculpture in the collection was previously labelled “the Crippled Figure” – a title that immediately caught my attention. The name has since been updated but encountering that word in the collection was surprising. 

The term “crippled” is now considered outdated and offensive. It’s been used against me before, and I know how loaded it can feel. Whether or not it was the artist’s original title is unclear – names of artworks often shift over time or can be applied by others when no title exists. It pushed me to look closer. 

The sculpture itself is bulky and heavy. It has a hollow, heart-shaped head, narrowing into a trunk. Two iron-bar legs extend downward, drilled with machine holes, while the arms hang down (one ending in a cylinder, the other flat). 

Taylor saw human forms in abandoned fragments of agricultural machinery, gathering them to create his sculptural characters. Before entering the museum’s collection, these works lived in a friend’s house and garden, where visitors enjoyed them informally. 

Art critics have sometimes dismissed this style of sculpture, calling it “junk” art. In my opinion, Taylor gave life to figures that feel both fragile and powerful. 

Notebook Containing Sermons (1845–1849)
Object number: STMEA:A.3026 

While looking through the archives, I found a small notebook that intrigued me. It didn’t fit within Food not Cuts, but it’s a story worth sharing.

Inside the notebook are neatly handwritten sermons, recorded by a vicar for one of his parishioners, C. R. Freeman, who was deaf. In mid-19th-century Suffolk, church would not have been just for religious purposes but also functioned as a social space. By writing out his sermons, the vicar made sure that Freeman could take part in the life of the parish. 

The notebook contains sermons from Stowupland Church between 1845 and 1849, with some long gaps between entries. One sermon was written for a funeral. Alongside the text, there are two loose sheets: an invitation for Rev. Smith to dine at Stowupland Hall every Sunday, and a scrap of paper with doodles, and even a game of hangman. 

I really enjoyed looking through this notebook, as it has a story of accessibility and inclusion.” 

The Food Not Cuts exhibition is on until 9 November in Abbots Hall Dining Room 

Curating Visibility

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A huge congratulations to our dedicated Learning Team, who have worked tirelessly to create and promote an educational programme that is relevant, engaging, and inspiring for schools and families alike.

The assessment feedback said it best: “The Food Museum is an inspiring setting in which an experienced and committed learning team bring stories of food alive. The schools’ programme is firmly rooted in East Anglia’s heritage, yet every workshop is made relevant to children today and highlights the importance of understanding where our food comes from. With an 84-acre site to explore, historic buildings, a farm area, suitable and safe learning spaces and a team who will help you plan your visit, the Food Museum is a wonderful resource for teaching Food and Nutrition, Science and History in a way that will have your students enthralled.”

We are thrilled to receive this recognition and look forward to welcoming even more schools, teachers, and students to explore, discover, and learn with us.

The Sandford Award is the quality mark for heritage learning and validation for heritage sites and services that offer a formal learning programme that supports the relevant curriculum across the home countries. Recognition is also given to informal learning such as family programmes and self-guided provision. The scheme began in 1978 and is managed by the Heritage Education Trust in partnership with Lincoln Bishop University and supported by Historic Royal Palaces.

For the full list of winners click here

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First up is Jake Barwood — a classically trained chef with a background in fine dining and private dining. He co-runs Barwood & Schumacher, a London-based catering company, and is passionate about excellence in school meals. Through his work with Chefs In Schools, Jake won Public Sector Chef of the Year in 2022. Between 2023 and 2025, he served as Strategic Lead on the Food Education Mapping Project with the School of Artisan Food, and since 2020 he’s been the lead chef on the Food Museum’s much-loved Thrills and Grills programme.

Jake has a knack for spotting the magic in the simplest of ingredients, then working a bit of alchemy with the chef’s holy trinity — a pinch of good salt, a glug of olive oil, and a splash of vinegar — to make them sing.

For his first Walled Garden Series recipe, Jake’s taking full advantage of what’s coming thick and fast in our greenhouse — juicy cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil — along with courgettes from the walled garden and even a slice of yesterday’s bread from our workshop.

Jake’s Walled Garden Panzanella

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 10 cherry tomatoes

• 1 small courgette

• Olive oil (extra virgin if possible)

• Flaky sea salt

• Balsamic vinegar

• A handful of fresh basil leaves

• 3–4 anchovies in oil

• 1 slice sourdough bread

• ½ small red onion

Method

1. Slice the red onion thinly and pop it in a small bowl. Add a good glug of olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a small pinch of salt. Mix and let it steep whilst you prep the rest — this helps take the sharpness off the onion and adds a lovely tang.

2. Slice the courgette as finely as you can (a mandoline helps). Toss with olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar, making sure every slice is coated.

3. Slice the tomatoes into halves or quarters and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

4. Drizzle olive oil onto a serving plate, swirling the plate to spread the oil along the base.

5. Arrange the tomatoes and courgette slices over the oiled plate.

6. Toast the sourdough until golden, then break into small chunks over the salad.

7. Tear the anchovies into small pieces and scatter them on top along with the marinated onions.

8. Tear over the basil leaves, then give everything a final drizzle of olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a light sprinkle of flaky salt.

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This time, we’re joined by Sam Story — a chef and food educator who has been co-running the Thrills and Grills programme alongside Jake Barwood for the past three years. Sam’s journey into food is an inspiring one: he originally trained as an English teacher, but his passion for cooking led him to Ottolenghi’s NOPI in Soho, where he spent two years before freelancing as a private chef. For the past two years, he’s been part of Chefs in Schools, where he not only cooks nourishing school lunches but also runs masterclasses to inspire the next generation of cooks.

Our volunteers who tend the walled garden, informed us that we were absolutely drowning in patty pan squash. Knowing this, Sam whipped up a dish that makes the most of the glut: gently charred patty pan slices on top of a whipped yoghurt spread, layered onto toasted sourdoughn and finished with lemon and honey.

Sam’s Patty Pan and Whipped Yoghurt Toast

Serves: 1

Ingredients

Half a patty pan squash

1 slice sourdough or rustic bread

1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for finishing)

1 tsp honey

Flaky salt

Zest of ½ lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

2–3 spoonfuls thick yoghurt or ricotta

1 clove of garlic, confit

Fresh chives, finely chopped

Method

Slice the patty pan – Using a mandoline, cut the squash into ribbon-thin strips.

Char the squash – Place the slices on a heatproof tray, drizzle with olive oil and use a blowtorch to lightly char until golden. Alternatively, pan-fry quickly in a hot pan until slightly charred.

Make the dressing – In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, a pinch of salt and the zest and juice of half a lemon.

Whip the yoghurt – In a separate bowl, whisk the yoghurt (or ricotta) with a splash of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and the juice of the remaining lemon until smooth and airy.

Toast the bread – Slice the bread thinly, then toast or blowtorch it on the same tray until nicely browned. Place on a serving plate.

Assemble – If using confit garlic, rub a clove over the warm toast. Drizzle with the honey-lemon dressing, then add a generous layer of the whipped yoghurt. Arrange the patty pan slices however you like.

Finish – Garnish with chopped chives, a final drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!

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