Posting eggs allowed limited resources to be shared: one of the exhibits at Ryedale Folk Museum
RYEDALE Folk Museum is sharing the ingenuity and toil behind historic food production in the Making A Meal Of It exhibition until November 30.
From field to table, the story of food is one of resilience, ingenuity, and sheer hard work. This is the story behind Ryedale Folk Museum’s latest exhibition, ‘Making a Meal of It’, on display this season until Sunday 30 November.
Museum director Jennifer Smith says: “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.”
From field to table, the story of food is one of resilience, as shown in the exhibition of compelling Yorkshire stories, set against a national and, at times, global context of historic and contemporary food production.
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,” says Jennifer. “Food produced in North Yorkshire travelled by cart, barge and railway to feed people across the country and overseas.”
Making Bread, from the Making A Meal Of it exhibition at Ryedale Folk Museum
Making A Meal Of It delves into the lives of those who grafted to produce, preserve and prepare food across a range of historic periods. Jennifer explains: “The exhibition 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.”
The exhibition also reflects on how food production has evolved to meet the demands of an ever-growing global population. While modern technology and farming techniques have vastly increased food output, the challenges of sustainability and climate change, and the impact of mass production on food quality, remain pressing concerns for many.
“There are some interesting parallels and key differences between the past and present,” says Jennifer. “We often take food for granted today, but in the past it was a precious commodity, even a matter of life and death. We hope this exhibition may perhaps spark some ideas to help us make better use of our food supplies today.”
Entry to Making A Meal Of It is included in admission to the museum. Ryedale Folk Museum is open Saturday to Thursday (closed on Fridays).