Meal Time by Ralph Hedley, South Shields Museum & Art Gallery
Ralph Hedley (1848-1913) Meal Time, about 1895 oil on canvas The farm labourer has returned from work in the field, as indicated by the horse harness hung on the settle to the right. His wife is preparing a simple meal on a traditional griddle pan of either potato cakes or scones, while her husband rests from his labours with a newspaper and a glass of home brewed beer. Heavy agricultural labour was generally the preserve of men while domestic duties and seasonal work was carried out by women. At this date almost all food and drink in the countryside was locally sourced and prepared at home.
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, Dicksons pork butchers and Minchella & Co’s ice cream. In the decades following the Second World War, culinary horizons were expanded with the introduction of flavours from places far beyond UK shores.
