School pupils share winter warmer creations at annual Young Marketeers Soup Sale
1st February 2024
Media Release
School pupils share winter warmer creations at annual Young Marketeers Soup Sale
With temperatures plummeting to as low as -4ºc in the capital this winter, secondary school pupils aged 11-16 from four London schools warmed up people’s lunch breaks on Thursday 1st February with a special Winter Soup Sale at Borough Market. Together the schools raised over £440, which will be donated to food redistribution charity The Felix Project.
The 12th annual event formed a 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. This winter, pupils also joined a bread-making class with Borough Market bakery Bread Ahead, where they learnt how to make the perfect ciabatta to mop up their tasty soups.
In addition to learning new cooking skills, pupils developed 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 was 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 took 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 was served in compostable containers with no single use plastic cutlery on site.
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, over £13,000 has been raised for FareShare and The Felix Project, providing over 73,496 meals for vulnerable families.
To find out more about the Young Marketeers Programme, watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq2M1pH1ig
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Notes to Editors
- The schools taking part in the Winter Sale are: Bacon’s College (Rotherhithe), Swanlea School (Whitechapel), St Gabriel’s College (Lambeth) and City of London Academy, Southwark.
- The Winter Sale will take place between 12-2pm at Borough Market, 8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL on Thursday 1 February
- Spokespeople will be available for interview, including Jane Swift, CEO at Borough Market, Stephanie Slater (Founder/Chief Executive, School Food Matters), and students/teachers involved in the project. Professional photography from the event will also be available to picture desks.
About the ‘Young Marketeers’ programme
Young Marketeers at Borough Market is a partnership between School Food Matters and Borough Market. The programme has been running since 2011 and gives primary and secondary school students first-hand experience of running a market stall, whilst building their food knowledge – from how it is grown to how to cook it. As all funds raised go to food distribution charity The Felix Project, the children also gain an understanding of food poverty and waste. Pupils learn to grow food from seed with help from horticultural experts and receive advice from Borough Market on how to sell their produce.
· Total number of students involved in selling at Borough Market – 1,997
· Total number of students reached by the programme – 57,801
· Total amount raised for FareShare and The Felix Project – £12,638
· Total number of meals for vulnerable families – 73,496
About Borough Market
Borough Market is a source of quality British and international produce, but it is more than just a place to buy or sell food. It’s a place where people come to connect, to share food and awaken their senses. Borough has long been synonymous with food markets and as far back as 1014, and probably much earlier, London Bridge attracted traders selling grain, fish, vegetables and livestock. In the 13th century traders were relocated to what is now Borough High Street and a market has existed there ever since. Many of the Markets traders also now sell their produce online, meaning those unable to make it to the Market can still access a selection of the Market’s exceptional range of artisanal produce. Details can be found through the Borough Market online directory.
In addition to the traders selling fresh produce from their stalls, Borough Market also houses a selection of restaurants and bars. Diners can enjoy Arabica Bar & Kitchen, Bao Borough, Berenjak Borough, Camille, Elliot’s, Fish! Restaurant, Kolae, Mallow, Maria’s Market Café, Padella, Rambutan, Roast Restaurant, Silka, Tapas Brindisa, Turnips restaurant and Wright Brothers Oyster and Porter House, while those looking for something to drink can head to Bedales of Borough, The Cider House, The Globe Tavern and The Rake.
Borough Market’s mission is to continue to provide a world class food market at Borough for the community of London and beyond. It is owned by a charitable trust and run by a board of volunteer trustees. The trust is committed to supporting the local community around Borough Market. We regularly run community events and we support local community projects and schemes.
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About School Food Matters
School Food Matters exists to teach children about food and to improve access to healthy, sustainable food during their time at school.
We provide fully funded food education programmes to schools. Our experience delivering these programmes informs and strengthens our campaigns, bringing the voices of children, parents and teachers to government policy.
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