Borough Market's Primary School Summer Produce Sale

Borough Market will be hosting over 50 budding stall holders from 11 London primary schools at its annual Summer Produce Sale on Thursday 4th July from 11am – 1.30pm, in partnership with campaigning charity School Food Matters, which aims to ensure that every child enjoys fresh sustainable food at school and understands where it comes from.

Children from the local community will become market traders for the day, using their enterprise skills to sell school-grown fruit and vegetables in the glass fronted Market Hall. All the proceeds will be donated to FareShare, an award-winning charity which seeks to relieve food poverty by rescuing good food that would otherwise go to waste. Every £1 raised will provide four meals for vulnerable families across the capital.

To date, the ‘Young Marketeers’ programme has seen more than 7,000 primary school children growing produce in 58 different schools, with close to 800 students coming to sell 45 different varieties of fruit and vegetables at London’s 1,000 year old market.
The tiny traders will kick off proceedings in traditional style by ringing Borough Market’s iconic bell to open their sale.

The annual programme starts at Borough Market in the Spring, when former Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins, teaches the children the art of growing fruit and veg from seed and they visit various market traders to learn top tips on how to run a winning market stall - from marketing, to food hygiene, to customer service. In June, primary schools receive a visit from a skilled horticulturist and receive further tips on how to ensure a bumper crop.

Christine Elliott, Chair of Trustees, Borough Market said: “A commitment to sustainability is at the heart of what Borough Market believes in. By working with children we want to encourage the next generation to connect with their food, to enjoy growing their own produce, to eat with the seasons and ultimately, to make informed choices when it comes to what they put on their plate. The Young Marketeers programme is all about inspiring the producers, shoppers, chefs and market traders of the future!”