The past, present and future of ice cream

London, 2018: SCOOP: A Wonderful Ice Cream World was a celebratory show that explored the past, present and future of ice cream and formed The British Museum of Food’s first major exhibition, just in time for summer.

No ordinary museum exhibit, SCOOP brought your favourite dessert to life in a total sensory immersion: amongst ice cream weather and eating glow-in-the-dark ice cream, guests could understand the neuroscience of the frozen treat and explore the dark side of desserts.

A special feature focused on the life and ingenuity of Agnes B. Marshall, known in Victorian times as the Queen of Ices. Far ahead of her time, Marshall wrote several successful cook books, patented an ice cream machine and even suggested using liquid nitrogen to make ice cream as early as the late 1800s. Guests to SCOOP stepped back in time to try some of Agnes's favourite recipes.

SCOOP's premiere last summer coincided with the 300th anniversary of Mary Eales’ Receipts (1718), the first printed volume to feature ice cream in an English publication. Eales claims to have sold confectionary at the court of Queen Anne. 2018 also marks the 399th anniversary of the first ice house built in Britain (to make ice cream) in Greenwich Park by order of James 1.

Over 23,000 people visited SCOOP over the run of show and the media reach was over 800,000,000. With thanks to King's Cross who provided the site for SCOOP.