Gosberton Academy in Lincolnshire is the latest school to take part in the Freshtime Fun Club, which aims to educate children about food provenance and the importance of healthy eating.

The first two sessions took place last week and were delivered by Mel Miles, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Agronomy at leading prepared and food to go business Freshtime.

On Wednesday (6^th June), pupils in reception and Years 1 to 4 enjoyed interactive sessions which tested their knowledge of fresh produce and helped them see the link between the food on their plates and what’s grown in the fields on their doorsteps.

Mel returned to the school the following day (Thursday 7^th June) armed with some salads made by Freshtime and met pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.

For the first time in fun club history, the children taking part were shown a video of world-ranked paracyclist Liz McTernan, who is also from Lincolnshire, talking all about her lifestyle and the importance of eating well to remain at the top of her game.  

The group was then given the opportunity to sample and rate each Freshtime product based on five criteria: how it looked; how it smelled; how it tasted; how healthy they thought it was, and whether or not they would recommend it to a friend or family member.

The pupils were then challenged by Freshtime’s Managing Director Steve Evans, via a video, to use their feedback to create their own salad with an accompanying marketing campaign and packaging options.

They have been given a month to work on their ideas in groups of five or six and will present them to a panel of judges led by Steve on Monday 9^th July.

The first two sessions took place ahead of Gosberton Academy’s Healthy Lifestyles Week, which runs from 11^th until 15^th June.

Year 6 teacher Tom Baxter said: “We were keen to sign up for the Freshtime Fun Club for 2018 after hearing such great things about it and I can confidently say that it’s living up to our high expectations.

“The children really enjoyed having Mel here – his enthusiasm for what he does is infectious and we’re already looking forward to welcoming his colleagues next month.”

Mel said: “The Freshtime Fun Club is designed to be educational but above all enjoyable, and it’s one of the events in my calendar that I most look forward to each year. I’m so pleased it is still going strong; now in its fifth year, we’re seeing that it has earned a name for itself.”

Freshtime, based on Marsh Lane in Boston, supplies customers on a national scale but has established strong links in the community.

The Freshtime Fun Club was launched as a way of doing something positive in the Boston area and to inspire the next generation to think positively about healthy eating and careers in the food industry.

It has previously been delivered at Boston West Academy (2014), St Thomas’ CE Primary School (2015), Staniland Academy (2016) and Carlton Road Academy (2017).

For more information about Freshtime and the fun club, please visit: www.freshtime.co.uk