On Thursday, pupils from four London schools were busy selling their soup creations at Borough Market’s Young Marketeers Winter Soup Sale– with the help of some extra special expert judges. Food critic, author and sustainability champion Melissa Hemsley and columnist, chef and food writer Xanthe Clay visited Lilian Baylis Technology School in Kennington, last week, along with the Market’s new CEO Jane Swift, to sample and judge some of the pupils’ recipes.
The sale saw four schools set up stalls in London’s iconic food market and sell their delicious creations to the public, raising money for The Felix Project. The sale raised £478, and every £1 provides enough food for six tasty meals for vulnerable people across the capital.
The Winter Soup Sale is an annual event and forms part of the Young Marketeers Programme, now in its 11th year. Run by School Food Matters in partnership with Borough Market, the programme teaches students about how to avoid food waste, eat seasonally and develop their cookery skills as well as giving them the entrepreneurial skills to market and sell their goods, thanks to advice from the Market’s expert traders.
Pupils taking part were taught by the School Food Matters food teacher how to make three tasty soups using seasonal vegetables, while Borough Market’s popular bakers at Bread Ahead give the students a ciabatta breadmaking masterclass to serve alongside their soup.
The soups were tested by a judging panel of Borough Market specialists ahead of the sale, to ensure the quality and flavour meets Market standards. Students then refined their recipes before the big day.
Food critic, author and sustainability champion Melissa Hemsley, said: “It’s so heart-warming to see young people learning about food. The Young Marketeers Programme is a fantastic platform for school children to gain invaluable cooking skills and understand where their food comes from, and this new knowledge really shone through in their soup creations. What I also love about this programme was that the children learn about food waste and food poverty through its connection with The Felix Project – an organisation I have been working with closely over the last four years.”
Columnist, chef and food writer Xanthe Clay said: “What a fantastic initiative by Borough Market and School Food Matters. The soups made by the students were all delicious – we had a tough time choosing a winning soup as so much had gone into each one, but the deep flavoured, satisfying Caldo Verde were irresistible. This scheme combining cooking skills, reducing waste, and business know-how alongside supporting food poverty NGOs, really engaged the students on so many levels.”
The Young Marketeers were selling their freshly made produce in the glass fronted Market Hall. In line with Borough Market’s commitment to sustainability, the soup was served in compostable containers with no single use plastic cutlery on site.
Jane Swift, CEO at Borough Market, said: “The Winter Soup Sale is a highlight of our Young Marketeers Programme, as the children gain essential skills and knowledge on how to use seasonal vegetables to produce delicious, nutritious meals from scratch. It is always so rewarding for the pupils taking part to see members of the public buying and enjoying their creations in a world-famous Market. Not only do they get a better understanding on where their food comes from and how to cook with it, but our traders were also on hand to give them top tips to build on their entrepreneurial skills. This year we’re thrilled that students have also gained expertise from such renowned food experts as Melissa and Xanthe.”
