Making a Meal of It: New food exhibition on now at Ryedale Folk Museum

This is the story behind Ryedale Folk Museum’s latest exhibition, Making a Meal of It, on display this season until Sunday November 30.

Jennifer Smith, Museum Director, said: “We are very excited to share Making a Meal of It this season.

"The exhibition really highlights the incredible resourcefulness of the people of the past.

"Food production was no easy task.

"From farmers and bakers to brewers and beekeepers, people relied on skill, knowledge, and hard graft to put food on the table.”

Throughout the exhibition, compelling local stories are set against a national and, at times, global context of historic and contemporary food production, with visitors invited on a tantalising journey into Yorkshire’s food heritage.

The importance of Ryedale as a centre of food production has long been recognised.

“Local food not only nourished the farmers and labourers of Ryedale but also found its way to the manufacturing hubs of the West Riding and beyond,” said Jennifer.

“Food produced in North Yorkshire travelled by cart, barge, and railway to feed people across the country and overseas.”

The exhibition delves into the lives of those who toiled to produce, preserve, and prepare food across a range of historic periods.

Jennifer said: “Making a Meal of It brings these stories to life, revealing not just what people ate, but how much effort went into every loaf of bread, every slice of ham, or even a spoonful of honey.

"These food items were so precious to the people of the past.

"It feels like a bit of a cliché to say it, but nothing was wasted.

“In the exhibition, we’ve really tried to get to the heart of why that was, and what life was like as ordinary people were buffeted by forces beyond their control – be that policy making and politics, or even the whims of the weather, all affecting how they were able to feed their families.”

There is also opportunity to reflect on how food production has evolved to meet the demands of an ever-growing global population.

Entry to Making a Meal of It is included with admission to the museum, which is open Saturday to Thursday (closed on Fridays).