Children from schools in Camden, Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Westminster will step into the world of food enterprise this summer as they sell school-made chutneys to local shoppers.
The ‘Schools to Market’ Market Days will take place on Wednesday 8 July from 11am-1pm at Whole Foods Market stores in Camden, Clapham Junction, High Street Kensington, King’s Road, Piccadilly and Stoke Newington.
Children from eleven London primary schools have spent the past few months growing fruit and vegetables, visiting a farm and learning to cook as part of Schools to Market, a food education programme run by charity School Food Matters in partnership with Whole Kids, a pillar of Whole Foods Market Foundation.
Working with expert gardeners and food teachers, the children have learned about the journey of food from farm to market – from growing ingredients in their school gardens to creating their own chutneys in the school kitchen.
Now, they’ll bring their products to market, putting their teamwork, creativity and marketing skills into practice while sharing their food with the local community.
Visitors can expect to find a range of chutneys on sale made with ingredients including beetroot, rhubarb and strawberries.
Money raised from sales on the day will be reinvested into participating schools to support future food education activities.
Rachel Copus, Partnerships and Programmes Manager at School Food Matters, said:
“Schools to Market gives children the chance to experience every stage of the food journey in a practical, memorable way, from growing and harvesting ingredients to cooking and selling a finished product. These hands-on experiences help children build confidence, learn valuable life skills and develop a deeper understanding of food, health and the environment.”
Schools to Market is a fully funded programme that helps children develop practical gardening, cooking and enterprise skills while nurturing a positive relationship with food and increasing awareness of where food comes from. Providing access to food education equips children with the knowledge, confidence and appreciation of nutritious, sustainable food needed to make healthy, informed choices throughout their lives.
More than 1,290 children and young people took part in Schools to Market in 2025, raising over £1,200 for food education projects in their schools. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of hands-on food education experiences, with 76% saying they learned a new cooking skill, 63% tasting a new food or flavour for the first time and 61% visiting a farm for the very first time.
Journalists and photographers are invited to attend any of the ‘Schools to Market’ Market Days to meet participating children, take photos and speak to project leads and School Food Matters representatives.
