Friday 16th June 2023 to Monday 2nd October 2023

Dining In:

Exploring Manchester’s histories through our stomachs

When the Portico Library first opened in 1806, minutes from the first board meeting tell us that the library sold “soups, tea, coffee, jellies, ices, orgeat and lemonade”. 

There is scant documentation on the kitchen in the library. What exists along with the building’s oral history tells us that eating and drinking have been at the heart of the library’s culture. The Portico library has been part of a rich and diverse history of food in the North West. 

The library's collection contains 19th century volumes that give us an insight into colonial encounters with global majority cultures through dining and food. It offers glimpses into a slice of Manchester's history at a time when it was becoming an industrial powerhouse. As a time capsule, the collection gives us material to reflect on current ideas and practices around the production of food, its preparation and consumption. 

The Portico is in the process of an ambitious development process to share the collection and its heritage with the residents of Manchester and its visitors. It is in the process of unifying all floors of the Grade II listed building, holding consultations with Manchester’s residents and library patrons, to reimagine a fully accessible venue for reading, writing, gathering and learning.

As it looks to a future, located at the heart of the city where it will continue to contribute to the culture of Manchester and the North West, DINING IN explores the future of food and dining at The Portico. What recipes are preserved? What dishes should be introduced to the cafe’s menu?

In a city that speaks over 200 languages, with a multitude of cultures and traditions. How is this present in the kitchen’s offering today and in the future?

And as we face the climate emergency, how does the kitchen procure and prepare food ethically and responsibly? How do we continue our cultural food traditions?

Over the next few weeks, DINING IN invites you to enjoy stories on the plate, around the table, and in print.

Spend time with an exhibition of contemporary artists who engage with ideas about what we eat, where we eat, and who we eat with, curated in response to the collection.

Explore the books that have fed the exhibition and the programme that surrounds it. 

Join us in conversation with artists, academics, visitors and foodies where we will talk about food whilst eating at our Salons. 

Eat home cooked food with us or join us for a journey across the world as we follow the story of the pear and how it came to be British.  

Share your ideas about food, inspired by memories, aspirations, experiences and moments of daily life. Create artwork using paint made from food. Join us to bind pages of text and images into your very own  recipe book zine. 

The Artists

Darryl Gadzekpo, Ella Phillips, Peggy Brunache, Renny O'Shea, Zuleika Lebow, Uli Westfal, Quarantine, Sheila Gheleni and Sue Palmer

Stephanie Black-Daniels, Ecaterina Stefanescu, Horace Lindezey, Terry Williams.

Associated Events

A series of events will delve into the Portico collection and spark conversations.

All events can be found at www.theportico.org.uk/whats-on and across our social media platforms:

Instagram: @porticolibrary

Twitter: @theportico

Facebook: facebook.com/ThePorticoLibrary