‘Scran’ at South Shields Art Gallery & Museum takes a wide-ranging look at food and drink in the borough down through the years.

Stottie cakes! Leek pudding! Singing hinnies! Panaculty! Has a region ever produced such evocative food stuffs? In this exhibition, visitors can discover South Tyneside’s evolving food and drink story, from Roman times up to the present day, and learn of the origins of some of the borough’s most iconic eateries, including Colmans fish and chips (Mmm…), Dicksons pork butchers and Minchella and Co’s ice cream. The exhibition will also feature local pubs and breweries of yesteryear, cafes, restaurants and work canteens, wartime food rationing, and – sign of the times – the emergence in recent years of foodbanks to help combat food poverty and holiday hunger. Tuck in! GM

Scran: Food & Drink in South Tyneside, until 25 January 2025, South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, southshieldsmuseum.org.uk