The children will be selling their produce on Thursday 3 July 11am to 1pm in the courtyard at Bradford’s brand-new Darley Street Market. This will help Bradford Council to test out the facilities on the new market courtyard before the market officially opens
to the public.
This is part of a food education programme called Young Marketeers, run by the charity School
Food Matters in partnership with Grow to School and Living Well Schools, supported by The
Edina Trust and Bradford Public Health. It gives children the opportunity to grow food from seed with the help of expert gardeners before harvesting and selling their fresh, tasty produce to their local community.
Dozens of enterprising children from 12 schools will sell potatoes, kale, beetroot, courgettes, strawberries, blackcurrants, various herbs, and more at their stalls on the day, putting the marketing training they’ve had into practice.
All the money raised on Market Day will be donated to Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank.
Ama Chaney, Founder and Managing Director of Grow to School, said: “We’re proud to be part of this incredible food education programme, delivering hands-on gardening experiences that get children’s hands in the soil and help them connect with nature. Supported
by our Growbag toolkit, schools grow food from seed, bringing the curriculum to life, building practical skills like gardening and teamwork, and encouraging a deeper care for the environment. Most importantly, the project leaves schools with the confidence
and tools to continue growing well into the future.”
Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive at School Food Matters, said: “We want every child to understand that food begins in the soil, not on a supermarket shelf. There's no better way to bring that to life than by giving children the chance to grow
their own fruit and vegetables at school. For the last 14 years, the Young Marketeers programme has been educating children about food production, sparking entrepreneurial spirit, nurturing healthy eating habits, and building awareness around food waste. We
can't wait for this year's Market Day to see the children proudly showcase the fruits of their labour.”
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “Although the inside of the market won’t be open to members of the public, as the new traders will be making the last-minute touches to their stalls
and stocking up, we’re delighted to be able to give these future market traders the opportunity to use the courtyard at Darley Street Market for this event.
“What an excellent way for the children to finish their project, at the same time as helping us to try out this new space ahead of our celebration weekend. I do hope people will come down and support the children.”
A weekend of events is being held to celebrate the opening of the new state-of-the-art Darley Street Market on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July. Sign up to get updates direct to your inbox at: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKBMD/signup/34366