Food for Thought: Is FOOD: Bigger than the Plate stimulating our taste buds or our minds?

We walked around with Roehampton’s Head of Undergraduate Provision, Dr Sue Reeves, to get a nutritious bite out of the FOOD: Bigger than the Plate exhibition at the V&A.

FOOD: Bigger than the Plate, 2019, Commissioned by the V&A in FOOD: Bigger than the Plate Photograph by Nora Ismail

Registered nutritionist and Fellow of the Association for Nutrition, Dr Reeves is bringing her undergrads to ‘Bigger than Plate’ in September. She hopes the exhibit will enthuse her students and “stimulate discussions on food, diet, and sustainability.”

Here are our top 4 exhibits:

1. Supernatural by Uli Westphal

This is Dr Reeves’ favourite, “the pictures are beautiful and colourful,” she says. “But totally unrealistic,” she continues. “It reminds us that often food is packaged to look glossy and healthy, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect the ingredients list.”

Supernatural, Uli Westphal, 2019, commissioned by the V&A in FOOD: Bigger than the Plate
Taken from Asda (top), Morrisons (middle) and Waitrose (bottom)
Photograph by: Nora Ismail

2. LOCI Food Lab

The LOCI Food Lab was handing out free samples of what they believed will be the food of the future. While their hors d’oeuvre like meals are nutritious, they may not fulfill the roles food plays. We also need to be “aware of the ethical, cultural and emotional implications of food,” says Dr Reeves.

LOCI Food Lab, 2019, Commissioned by the V&A in FOOD: Bigger than the Plate Photograph by: Nora Ismail

3. Company Drinks

With the sugar tax popping up in Roehampton’s cafeterias, Company Drinks may have a solution. “If we can get a coach out from Barking to Dagenham, we can get enough elderflower to sweeten London’s drinks — I think that’s much better than carrying on the sugar trade,” says Ewan, a representative from Company Drinks.

But just because elderflower sounds healthier, doesn’t mean that it is. “Honey and syrups all have almost the same amount of free sugars as you would find in table sugar,” says Dr Reeves. “The body treats all free sugars the same.”

‘Flowering Current’ and ‘Rosemary’ by Company Drinks, 2019, commissioned by the V&A in FOOD: Bigger than the Plate Photograph by: Nora Ismail

4. 374 by Alice V Robinson

Designer and vet’s daughter, Alice has wasted nothing when creating her collection from a single cow, bullock 374. The meat eaten, the other parts of its body have been made into shoes, bags and clothing. Her aim is to, “acknowledge the life behind the products we are so often disconnected from.”

374, Alice V Robinson, 2019, commissioned by the V&A in FOOD: Bigger than the Plate
Photograph by: Nora Ismail