CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR EVENT

Exhibition: Public Diners

Created by Nourish Scotland and 60 community researchers, this exhibition asks the question: at a time of rising food costs and hectic modern lives, could public diners make a comeback?

Exhibition: Public Diners

About Exhibition: Public Diners

Listed Under Exhibitions Events

In the UK, we have public healthcare, public transport, public libraries — even public Wi-Fi. So why not public diners?

This exhibition uncovers the forgotten history of state-supported restaurants in the UK, and current international examples of public dining. Public diners are state-supported restaurants that sit alongside other core public infrastructure.
They’re everyday eating places serving good food at prices everyone can afford. During the Second World War and into the 1960s, the UK had a national network of over 2,000 public diners — including 90 in Scotland and 15 in Edinburgh. Around the world today, governments are investing in their own versions of public diners.

Created by Nourish Scotland and 60 community researchers, this exhibition asks the question: at a time of rising food costs and hectic modern lives, could public diners make a comeback and be a solution we all crave?

Sponsored Links

Hilton Glasgow
Murrayfield Experience
Murrayfield Experience
Escape The Past
Fayre Play
Wonder & Co
Open Pass Scotland

Other Events at Scottish Storytelling Centre

Loud Poets Open Mic

Selected dates between 29th September 2025 - 8th December 2025

Loud Poets invite poets to share their work at their regular open mic, taking place monthly at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

READ MORE

Loud Poets x Bad Betty: Spoken Word Showcase

16th October 2025

Scotland’s premiere spoken word night Loud Poets is teaming up with Nottingham's innovative poetry organisation Bad Betty to showcase a stellar lineup of wordsmiths on 16th October.

READ MORE

Bloom: Performance and Ceilidh

18th October 2025

BLOOM, a dance performance and personal story from Scotland based Percussive Step Dancer Kae Sakurai, is taking place on 18th October at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, followed by a Ceilidh.

READ MORE

Mortality & Making: Crafting Conversations About Death

1st November 2025

Join us for a taboo-breaking, liberating workshop that explores death through storytelling, coffin crafting, and open conversation.

READ MORE

Mind of Man

6th November 2025

Inspired by the experiences of Scottish prisoners and the author's own journey with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, this is a powerful play about the struggle to claim your place in the world.

READ MORE

The Oor Vyce Gaitherin

7th November 2025

Jyne us on 7th November for a powerful day where the Scots-speaking community comes thegither at Edinburgh’s Scottish Storytelling Centre.

READ MORE

Bothan Dhùn Èideann

7th November 2025

Join us at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for our November Bothan, a monthly session of Gaelic culture and community in Edinburgh!

READ MORE

Silver, Salt and Songs: Exhibition Launch

8th November 2025

Join Jill de Fresnes, Christine Kydd and Patsy Seddon to celebrate the launch of the Silver, Salt and Stories exhibition, running at the Scottish Storytelling Centre during November.

READ MORE

Exhibition: Silver, Salt and Stories - Images and Memories of the Scots Herring Women

8th November 2025 - 22nd November 2025

The exhibition by Jill de Fresnes is centred around filmed interviews with 12 Scottish women who worked as herring gutters from the 1920s through to the 1960s.

READ MORE

Easy Sundays: The TAM Sessions

9th November 2025

The TAM Sessions is an open and informal trad session, but with the lovely additional invitation to bring your sewing, knitting, crochet, or any other crafting project that you enjoy.

READ MORE

A Wheen o’ Wimmin: Singing Our Stories

18th November 2025

A Wheen o’ Wimmin present Singing Our Stories, featuring five celebrated Scots singers who’ve shared many a stage both great and small.

READ MORE

Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame 20th Anniversary Celebration

18th November 2025

Join Hands Up for Trad on 18th November for an intimate celebration marking two decades of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, with David Francis and Louis DeCarlo!

READ MORE

Return of the Swallows: Susanna Orr Holland Album Launch

21st November 2025

Catch Susanna Orr Holland, an experimental world folk singer-songwriter, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 21st November for the launch of her second album!

READ MORE

The Work that Reconnects: Workshop with Chris Booth

22nd November 2025

To accompany the launch of Susanna Orr Holland’s new album Return of the Swallows, Chris Booth will offer a Work That Reconnects workshop.

READ MORE

Balancing in Freedom

Selected dates between 29th January 2026 - 20th November 2026

Join us at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for this world premiere performance of an enthralling new work, written and performed by Iddo Oberski!

READ MORE

Sponsored Links

Murrayfield Experience
Edinburgh Street Historians
Murrayfield Experience
Children's Classic Concerts
Hilton Glasgow
Renfrewshire Council
Edinburgh Dungeon

Similar events you might like...

Magical Patterns: Family Craft Day

Magical Patterns: Family Craft Day

13th October 2025

Step into a world of colour, creativity and imagination at Dovecot and enjoy a visit to IKEA: Magical Patterns during our Autumn drop-in Family Craft event on 13th October!

READ MORE
Vanishing Points:  Art Beyond Boundaries

Vanishing Points: Art Beyond Boundaries

15th October 2025 - 21st October 2025
Edinburgh West

Marking the debut of Chrissy Moore Art Advisory, this group exhibition brings together powerful works in photography, sculpture, and painting!

READ MORE
Drawing the Italian Renaissance

Drawing the Italian Renaissance

17th October 2025 - 1st March 2026

This exhibition at The Palace of Holyroodhouse, brings together a wide range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period, including 45 drawings never exhibited in Scotland before.

READ MORE
Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer

Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer

18th October 2025 - 19th April 2026

Take to the skies and discover the world from above the clouds through the remarkable work of Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer at the National Galleries of Scotland: Portrait.

READ MORE
Picking up the Thread: The Past, Present and Future of Tapestry

Picking up the Thread: The Past, Present and Future of Tapestry

20th October 2025 - 14th February 2026

Dovecot is delighted to welcome a wonderful variety of artists to show their work in The British Tapestry Group’s celebration of its 20th anniversary.

READ MORE
Out of Sight Out of Mind: Launch

Out of Sight Out of Mind: Launch

21st October 2025

Join us at Summerhall to celebrate the launch of Out of Sight Out of Mind, featuring artworks made by 400 people with experience of mental health issues.

READ MORE
Out of Sight Out of Mind Exhibition

Out of Sight Out of Mind Exhibition

22nd October 2025 - 9th November 2025

The biggest mental health art exhibition in Scotland in it's 13th year will present artworks made by 400 people.

READ MORE
Drawn Together

Drawn Together

25th October 2025 - 26th October 2025
Edinburgh South

A powerful exhibition of visual art by local people with lived experience of homelessness, sharing stories often overlooked.

READ MORE
Gudrun Sjödén: Swedish Colour & Design

Gudrun Sjödén: Swedish Colour & Design

26th October 2025

Join Dovecot to celebrate five decades of colourful design and unique expression by the Swedish designer and textile artist Gudrun Sjödén.

READ MORE

Find other events in Edinburgh

Sponsored Links

Hilton Glasgow
Murrayfield Experience
Murrayfield Experience
Escape The Past
Fayre Play
Wonder & Co
Open Pass Scotland
Murrayfield Experience
Edinburgh Street Historians
Murrayfield Experience
Children's Classic Concerts
Hilton Glasgow
Renfrewshire Council
Edinburgh Dungeon

Popular Events

Conifox Terror Scream Park
Terror Scream Park, Edinburgh’s most intense 18+ horror event, launches for the very first time this autumn at Conifox Adventure Park.
HARVEST: Contemporary Craft Fair
Craft Scotland is delighted to present HARVEST: Contemporary Craft Fair, our new living showroom and multi-disciplinary selling exhibition, coming to the City Art Centre from 11th to 19th October.
RCSEd & SQ Charity Ceilidh
Get ready for a night of dancing, fun and great food at the RCSEd & SQ Staff Ceilidh on Saturday, 1st November!
Crafternoons
Looking for something fun to do with the kids during the October break? Then come along to these FREE arts and crafts sessions at the Scottish Parliament every day (except Sundays)!
Edinburgh’s Craft & Flea Market
Come along to Craft & Flea, a collection of independent makers, collectors, designers and creatives all under one roof at the Assembly Rooms on Sunday 19th October.

Popular Listings

Corn Exchange Haddington Edinburgh Playhouse Festival Theatre Edinburgh Howden Park Centre Livingston Kings Theatre Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland O2 Academy Edinburgh The Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh Traverse Theatre Usher Hall