As the school term draws to an end, London’s youngest market traders are returning to Borough Market for the first Summer Sale since the pandemic.
60 pupils from 12 primary schools will be showcasing the delicious fruit and veg they’ve grown over the past few months and selling their produce to the Market’s customers on Thursday 7 July. Previous sales have seen pupils selling their school-grown rhubarb, radishes, cucumber, marrow, lettuce, spring onions, strawberries, lavender, herb bunches, garlic and more.
The sale marks more than ten years of The Young Marketeers Programme, a partnership between Borough Market and charity School Food Matters.
Designed to help children understand where their food comes from and how to eat seasonally, the Young Marketeers Programme sees experts from the two organisations teach pupils how to grow their own produce and how to cook with it. This knowledge – which is becoming increasingly more important as the cost-of-living crisis saw 13.8% households experiencing food poverty in April 2022 – means that children discover invaluable home-cooking skills, as well as essential life skills, both in nutrition and entrepreneurship.
Not only do pupils gain an insight in to how to look after themselves in the future, they also learn about difficulties other children face in getting access to food, something more than 2.6 million children are currently experiencing. All proceeds made from the market day go to London’s largest food distribution charity, The Felix Project, who the pupils visit at the start of the programme to understand the impact of food poverty and food waste.
Kate Howell, Director of Engagement and Communications at Borough Market, said: “Teaching children about food has never been more important, as we see families across London and the rest of the UK experiencing food insecurity – many for the first time. We’re now in our 11th year of our partnership with School Food Matters, having supported more than 1,700 pupils through the programme, as part of our commitment to our local community and it is such a pleasure to welcome back the Summer Sale after a two-year hiatus.”
In June 2022, Henry Dimbleby’s proposals for a National Food Strategy were responded to by the government but have been met with disappointment by many. A number of the key recommendations, such as extending the eligibility criteria for free school meals, have been ignored. Despite the advances and progress made in the government’s School Food Plan, School Food Matters’ recent engagement with schools s recent engagement with schools highlights that too many children are still missing out on good quality, nutritious school food. The Young Marketers Programme demonstrates the value of learning about food production, cooking skills and sustainability.
Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters, said: “The best way for children to learn about food and where it comes from is through growing their own fruit and vegetables. For over a decade, the Young Marketeers programme has given young people the unique opportunity to experience every step of the journey from seed to market stall.
“Not only do the children have immense fun being outside and getting their hands dirty, they also develop important life-long skills that enable them to think more carefully about the food they eat and the impact it has on the planet. We’re very excited to see the Summer Sale back at Borough Market for the first time since the Covid pandemic hit.”
Alice Handelman-Pedroza, Schools & Young People Manager at The Felix Project, said: “We are proud to have been involved with Young Marketeers and always look forward to the school visits and Borough Market sales. It is great to see young people get excited about food growing, learning about surplus food and also the work of The Felix Project. Young Marketeers sales raise funds and have helped provide thousands of meals for vulnerable people across the capital.”
Since the Young Marketeers Programme began, children have raised £9,526 for The Felix Project through their sales – the equivalent to 55,996 meals for vulnerable families in need.
For more information on the Young Marketeers Programme and Borough Market’s partnership with School Food Matters, watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq2M1pH1ig
For more information on the Summer Sale, visit: https://boroughmarket.org.uk/events/young-marketeers-summer-sale/
