Children from schools across Gloucestershire swapped the classroom for market stalls as they sold fresh, school-grown fruit and vegetables to the public in support of a great cause.
Children from four local primary schools spent the past few months growing produce from seed with support from expert gardeners as part of Young Marketeers, a food education programme run by charity School Food Matters, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and Stroud Town Council Community Support Fund, with additional support from Cainscross Town Council.
Visitors at Stroud Shambles Market found the children selling a colourful selection of seasonal produce, such as beans, beetroot, chard, courgettes, lettuce, onions, peas potatoes, rocket salad, strawberries, squash and sweetcorn, as well as herbs and flowers.
Young Marketeers helps children develop practical gardening and enterprise skills while nurturing a life-long positive relationship with food, providing hands-on outdoor learning opportunities and increasing awareness of food waste. Giving access to food education equips children with the knowledge, confidence and appreciation of nutritious, sustainable food needed to make healthy, informed choices well into adulthood.
Stephanie Slater MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters, said: “Food education is a vital life skill, and hands-on experiences such as growing and selling fresh produce can help children build a real connection with food and where it comes from. For 15 years, our Young Marketeers programme has been giving children the chance to learn new skills, work as a team and take pride in what they’ve grown. Market Day is a celebration of the value of food education and a moment for hundreds of enterprising young gardeners across the country to shine.”
Money raised from sales on the day will be donated to The Long Table, a pay-as-you-can community restaurant in Stroud.
Last year, Young Marketeers reached 120 schools in 14 cities across England. Feedback from participating children highlighted the programme’s impact, with 86% saying they learned a new gardening skill, 60% learning more about where food comes from, and 52% discovering something new about healthy eating. Now in its 15th year, the programme continues to grow and will be delivered in 16 cities in 2026.
