With temperatures plummeting to as low as -4ºc in the capital in recent weeks, secondary school pupils aged 11-16 from four London schools will be warming up people’s lunch breaks on Thursday 1st February with a special Winter Soup Sale at Borough Market, to raise money for The Felix Project.
The 12th annual event forms part of the Young Marketeers Programme – a partnership between Borough Market and School Food Matters – which teaches pupils how to avoid food waste, eat seasonally and develop invaluable life skills.
Over the last decade, the annual soup sale has taught over 3,635 pupils how to create delicious winter warmers using seasonal vegetables, which are then judged by a special panel of food experts, before the top recipes are selected to be sold at London’s iconic food market. Pupils also embark on a bread-making class with Borough Market bakery Bread Ahead, where they learn how to make the perfect ciabatta to mop up their tasty soups.
In addition to learning new cooking skills, pupils develop their entrepreneurial talent with the help of the Market’s traders, with advice on how to sell their mouth-watering creations to the public. All of the money from the students’ sales is donated to The Felix Project, which supports vulnerable people across the capital. Every £1 made provides enough food for four flavoursome meals for those in need.
The Winter Soup Sale will take place on Thursday 1st February from 12-2pm in Borough Market’s Green Market. In line with Borough Market’s commitment to sustainability, the soup will be served in compostable containers with no single use plastic cutlery on site.
Food critic, author and sustainability champion Melissa Hemsley, who will be attending this year’s sale, said: “It is wonderful to be returning to the Young Marketeers Winter Soup Sale this year. Last year, I had the privilege of being on the soup judging panel, selecting the best recipes to sell at the Market. I am looking forward to going to the sale and seeing what this year’s cohort of students have created. This programme offers an amazing platform for children to learn about so many aspects of food; be it where their food has come from, how to cook seasonally, ways to avoid food waste and what can be done to help those facing food poverty. Having worked with The Felix Project over recent years, it is wonderful to see what local schools are doing to help raise money for this important cause.”
Jane Swift, CEO at Borough Market, said: “We love starting the Young Marketeers Programme with this warming sale each year. It’s so inspiring to see the recipes the children come up with using seasonal vegetables and the tasting and judging process is always a lot of fun for us. Not only does this part of the programme teaches young people about the benefits of eating seasonally, but it also equips them with the skillset to create a nutritious meal from scratch – something we hope they will feel inspired by and continue to do at home.”
Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters, said: “The Young Marketeers programme encapsulates why School Food Matters exists – to teach young people all about food. Throughout the programme, students experience the joy of cooking, baking and experimenting with new flavours, receiving inspiration from our experts. Sale Day at Borough Market is a celebration of the students’ hard work and creativity, and an opportunity for them to show off their enterprise skills.
“Every year our Young Marketeers programme shows us first-hand that there’s a real appetite for food education opportunities in schools. We want every child in every school to enjoy quality food education and for this to happen the subject must be given the attention and resources it deserves.”
To date, the partnership with School Food Matters has seen more than 215 schools attend trader training. Some students have grown their own fruit and veg and sold it at the Market, while others have made soup from seasonal produce. Over the years, £12,638 has been raised for FareShare and The Felix Project, providing 73,496 meals for vulnerable families.
