The British Museum of Food opens in October at Borough Market for three months
© Jo Duck for Bompas & Parr

London is home to some of the top restaurants and chefs in the world. We’re able to travel around the world through our culinary choices without leaving the kitchen table. With our love of good food, it makes sense that the capital is the location for a new museum of food.

This October, foodies can rejoice as the world’s first museum dedicated to food is coming to London. Food and drink wizards Bompas & Parr are launching a cultural institution celebrating the history, evolution, science, sociology and art of food.

Initially opening for three months from 23 October, the British Museum Of Food will be based at Borough Market while it seeks a more permanent home. Bompas & Parr will be collaborating with the managers, trustees and traders from nearby Borough Market on the museum, which will span two floors. The new museum will both educate and entertain visitors about food and drink in B&P’s signature quirky and disruptive style.

Visitors will explore the most exciting elements of food through the museum’s exhibits and experiences. There will be plenty of ‘food for thought’ as guests are encouraged to consider what they are putting in their bodies and think about nutrition and health.

The museum is a new project from food wizards Bompas & Parr
© Nathan Pask for Bompas & Parr

Among the exhibits in the initial opening will include:

– Be the Bolus: the Peristalsis Experience

An immersive digital journey into the body, following the path of food along the alimentary canal from the mouth, into the stomach and intestines, using footage obtained working with consultant gastronenterologist Dr Simon Anderson.

– Choco-Phonica

A sonic wonderland focused on chocolate where visitors are asked to experience taste against the medium of sound, curated in collaboration with Space Doctors and Nathanael Williams Music with the advice of multi-sensory scientists.

– The British Menu Archive

A selection of historical and beautiful menus, normally an ephemeral part of food culture but actually a revealing historical resource.

– The Butterfly Effect

A walk-through tropical butterfly experience that tells the story of the unsung heroes of pollination in the context of global food security concerns.

– Atelier of Flavour 

A gallery showcase of food as art, with a focus on how different artists have used unusual materials to represent the English Breakfast.

Harry Parr, partner of Bompas & Parr and a founder trustee of the museum, said: “’Around the world there are various museums devoted to specific items of food and drink, such as herrings and absinthe, but nowhere has an institution been created that seeks to embrace this crucial part of human existence. “This has long been an aspiration of the studio and we’re delighted to have been able to assemble a stellar cast to help us bring this to life. And where better than the spiritual home of London’’s food culture?”’

• British Museum Of Food, One Cathedral Street, Borough Market, SE1 9DE. Nearest station: London Bridge. Open Wed-Fri 12-6pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm. Tickets: Adults £5, Children £4. The museum will open for three months from 23 October 2015. For more information, visit the British Museum Of Food website.

For a guide to what else is on in London in December, click here.

To find out about Bompas & Parr’s Alcoholic Architecture experience, click here.

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