Barley Porridge and Crispbread

Barley Porridge and Crispbread - the story of Finnish school meals

The exhibition takes you over a hundred years back to the roots of school meals. The original purpose of the free meal was to attract children from less affluent families to school and ensure their nutrition during the school day.

In 1943, the free school lunch was extended in Finland to become a right for every pupil - the first time in the world. Over more than 80 years, this meal has touched countless Finns and shaped our understanding of community, nutrition, and education.

The exhibition highlights the history of school meals and related memories from different decades - from the era of porridge and gruel to today's food services. It has been produced in collaboration between Finland's agricultural museum Sarka and the Hotel and Restaurant Museum.

Hotel and Restaurant Museum, Helsinki. 18.9.2026-29.8.2027. Admission 0-16 €.