For the exhibition Thirst – In Search of Freshwater, the Wellcome Collection commissioned a new version of the Wonderwater Cafe, a project designed to raise awareness of the water footprint of food and the impact of what we eat on local and global water resources.
For Wonderwater, the Wellcome Cafe by Benugo is serving a low-water footprint salad created with Benugo’s chef and water scientists at King’s Water Centre by minimising the amount of water-intensive oil in the dressing and using vegetables grown without irrigation. The water footprint is only 163 litres.
The Wonderwater menu features a Cheddar Baguette with a water footprint of 250 litres. This is a more water-friendly choice as it is vegetarian, with a 214-litre lower water footprint than 464 litres for the Ham and Cheese Baguette.
The Wonderwater menu helps visitors to make an informed choice about the water impact of their meal. As agriculture accounts for 72% of global annual water consumption, what we choose to eat can be critical for water supplies where our food is grown.
Curated by Jane Withers Studio in collaboration with King’s Water Centre, King’s College London @kings_college_london
In partnership with Benugo @benugouk
Graphic design by Wolfe Hall @wolfehall.studio
Wonderwater at Wellcome Café, London, continues until 1 February 2026
@wellcomecollection
Images: Ben Gilbert / Wellcome Collection
