Examples of how the winning schools participated last year

In primary schools

To celebrate the end of two crammed weeks of food activities, the BBC’s Hairy Bikers had lunch with the children at Wilson’s Endowed CE Primary School in Over Kellet and then gave a cookery demonstration using local produce.  Headteacher, Jo Williams, said: “I believe that children should know where their food comes from. It is great to provide the children with the opportunity to taste and cook with good quality food, grown and produced locally. It puts the fun back into food.” 

Years 3 & 4 at Leedstown CP School in Cornwall donned chefs’ hats and aprons to assist local chef Mr Perry with making traditional Cornish Pasties using local ingredients.  During the Fortnight the children talked about healthy food choices and planned and designed their own meals.

Local chefs judged Machynlleth Primary School’s ‘Make A Smoothie’ competition as part of the school’s foodie-fun, which also included visits from the local honey producer, butcher and fishmonger and visits to local farms.  The pupils made their own pizzas, cooked fish dishes and baked Welsh cakes with their parents. 

Year 6 pupils from Yeoford Community Primary School in Devon were invited by the local pub, the Mare and Foal, to plan and cook a two course meal for the rest of the school and staff.  The pub’s chefs went to the school to help children plan the menu before giving them the run of the kitchen so they could prepare a fantastic roast meal!

Wickhambreaux C.E. Primary School in Kent organised for a local chef to teach the whole school how to cook!  The activity continued throughout the academic year so that he could teach each class five cooking skills. 

Using the talents of parent and chef Dean Hoddle, three classes from Chiltern Primary School in Northampton prepared and cooked fresh bread, Root Vegetable Soup and Apple and Blackberry Crumble.  Pupils were sent home with the recipes to cook them with their parents.  Year 4 pupil Louise, aged nine, impressed her classmates with her carrot peeling skills.  She said: “I learnt that you can also make crisps, not just from potatoes, but parsnips as well.  I liked peeling carrots, although at first it was difficult.”

In secondary schools

Years 7 - 11 from Greencroft School in County Durham took part in cookery sessions working alongside local Women’s Institute members, the school cook and other teachers.  The ‘WI teams’ were asked to prepare and cook a dish that was typical of what the WI members would have eaten when they were at school and the ‘staff teams’ prepared and cooked a dish that is typical today.  Pupils shopped for their ingredients, buying only British and as locally produced as possible. 

Pupils from The John of Gaunt School in Trowbridge took on the role of top British chefs when ARAMARK chef, Clive Jackson-Wilding, visited the school to help the Year 9 students create traditional Cornish Pasties.  They were then challenged to design a pasty for themselves and the winning team was given the chance to cook and sell the pasty in a Trowbridge restaurant.

British and locally grown foods were served in the canteen and integrated in the lessons at The Deanes School in Benfleet.  Year 7 designed and made salads using food processors for slicing, grating and chopping.  Year 8 made traditional loaf shapes in a project on cereals.  Year 9 used English apples or other English fruit for fruit crumbles and pies. Years 10 & 11 collected food wrappers from British produce for a display and used other practical work for Food Coursework.  The menu in the school’s canteen included a ‘Dish of the Day’ with British foods being the main ingredient.  During Tutor Time pupils were encouraged to research on the Internet for dates of farmers’ markets; create a map of Britain to identify places found on food labels and watch a video about food miles. 

Pupils at Forthill College in Lisburn had British Food Half Term!  Year 9 discovered how food culture in Northern Ireland has changed and been influenced by foods from around the world.  Class discussions revolved around traditional Northern Irish dishes.  Year 10 made Leek and Potato Soup and Irish Stew while pupils in the Year 14 Leisure Studies class made potato wedges, all using Northern Irish produce, of course! 

Pupils at Bradford Secondary PRU – Jesse St Unit took part in a Lunch Menu Competition in which they had to plan a menu using local and seasonal ingredients.  Staff and pupils voted on the best menu to be cooked for the whole school.  
 

In Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools

The chef from ‘The Westerley’ cooked with the boys from Starhurst School in Dorking.  The school kitchen cooked food from eight different regions of Britain to mirror geography lessons.  Science classes experimented with food and in Art and D&T, pupils made food sculptures.  There was a Cookery Evening with food and quizzes for boarders. 

Vegetable patches, hedges and teachers’ fruit trees were harvested so that boys from Bristol Gateway Special School could get cooking!  Year 7 stuffed marrows and made a Blackberry & Apple Crumble; Year 8 made Cottage Pie and a Pear & Almond Tart; Year 9 stuffed peppers and made an Apple Cake; and Year 10 layered lamb & vegetables and made a Plum & Apple Tart.

Classes at The Forum School, a school in Dorset for young people with autism, cooked traditional dishes from the British Isles.  The post-16 class prepared and hosted a Dorset Cream Tea for the local village. 

Each class at Alexandra School for Children with Special Needs in South Harrow had to choose and mark a region or area on the British Isles map; research the local produce for the chosen area; make a poster to be displayed during the Harvest Festival assemble; find a traditional recipe from the chosen region and use regional produce to cook it; take photographs and keep the recipe and arrange a visit to a local shop or market.  The children invited a friend into the school to taste what they had cooked.  The teacher organising the activities said: “The children had a lot of fun and learned a great deal about food preparation and healthy eating, as well as increasing their knowledge of the geography and foods of the regions in the British Isles.” 

Schools that involved parents too!

Pupils, parents and staff at St Anne’s School in Southampton were asked to join the ‘Apple Crumble Challenge’.  A recipe was published on the website, together with additional information such as a range of other British local fruits that might be included – some families used blackcurrants that they had made special trips to collect.  Those taking part were invited to write up their experiences as well as send in photographs of their crumbles; at one point the school’s email inbox was completely full!   

British Food Fortnight was branded ‘Food in School Fortnight’ at Annie Lennard School in Smethwick.  Parents were invited to attend as many activities as possible including a tasting of English apples and a ‘Café Afternoon’, for which each class had made a healthy snack and parents could buy the recipes to make the snacks at home.  One parent said: “The ‘Café Afternoon’ was certainly a great success with so many parents attending the event.  It would be lovely to see such an event again.”  Another parent was so inspired that she approached the school to launch a ‘Healthy Superhero’ competition.  The children had to design and name their own superhero and outline details of his special powers and what made him strong and healthy.

Eighty parents joined their children at Burnwood Community School in Stoke on Trent for a traditional roast lunch.  This event was a time for families to sit together and share quality time over a balanced, nutritional meal.  In a cooking session organised by the school parents and children worked together to make Baked Potatoes with Cracked Eggs, a Broccoli and Mushrooms dish and Fruit Kebabs.  Children tried new foods and parents were inspired to take this and other recipes home with them.  

Comments from teachers & chefs who took part last year

“British Food Fortnight’s initiative sending chefs into schools is an invaluable way of teaching the next generation and we have loved being a part of it.”
Dave Myers & Simon King, BBC’s ‘Hairy Bikers’ celebrity chefs who gave children at Wilson’s Endowed C.E. School, Lancashire a cooking lesson during British Food Fortnight.

“This was the first year we participated and we will definitely do so again.”
Alex Ellwood, Greencroft Community School, Co. Durham

“We celebrate British Food Fortnight every year and find your resources invaluable.”
Sharon Ball, Ryhope Junior school, Sunderland

“We had an excellent two weeks.  The students gained a lot of benefit and enjoyment from the experience.” 
Muriel Buxton, Assistant Head, The Forum School, Dorset

“Our school regards British Food Fortnight as a highlight on the Autumn Term calendar.”
Wendy Compson, Headmistress, Cherry Trees School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

“British Food Fortnight highlighted how beneficial food based activities are to the children.”
Head, Thornton Primary School, Thornton Cleveleys

“A brilliant initiative that has definitely raised the profile of food in our school and one that we will try again.”
Mrs Sarah Watts, Morriston Primary School

“British Food Fortnight gave the whole school the opportunity to participate in a range of activities and we all enjoyed eating the food produced too!”
Mariangela Amos, Alexandra School, South Harrow