Back to School for Hampshire Fare and LEAF Education
Hampshire Fare, in partnership with LEAF Education, have delivered workshops about local produce to Food and Nutrition GCSE students at The Mountbatten School in Romsey.
It was an inspiring start to the new term at The Mountbatten School in Romsey when Hampshire Fare was invited to deliver informative talks all about local produce, seasonality, and careers in the food industry to Year 11 Food and Nutrition GCSE Students. Tracy Nash, Commercial Manager, Hampshire Fare, and Jo Hatton, South East Regional Education Consultant, LEAF Education, delivered the workshops, on 9th and 19th January, to help the students learn more about regional produce and discover local food heroes.
The workshops covered: what is seasonal food, what is local food, and what food does our area specialise in? They considered the benefits and drawbacks of using local ingredients in dishes, which cafes and shops in the area use and sell local and seasonal ingredients, and whether any current trends and initiatives are boosting the use of local ingredients. Students were also asked to choose their favourite locally produced ingredients, before suggesting ways that these ingredients could be used in their upcoming cookery exam.
Tracy Nash commented: “The workshops were really enjoyable. We handed out Hampshire Fare guides to discovering food and drink in the Test Valley, and introduced the students to the wide range of produce available locally, including pork pies from Tatchbury Manor Farm and fresh trout from ChalkStream Foods.
“We also held a ‘Local Producers Career Challenge’ using stickers from Hampshire Fare’s award-winning ‘Stay Loyal Stay Local’ campaign. The artwork features characters in the local food and drink community, and we asked students to identify the job roles they represented. The students were really engaged with this fun and interactive element. They learned a lot, and not just about produce, the workshops also covered cooking and the environment.”
Jo Hatton added, “It is so important for consumers to appreciate the value of their local food producers, and to have an insight into the range and quality of what is available. The students were clearly impressed and had a better understanding of the many careers they could choose within the food industry.”
Students commented that it was a very interesting session, that they had not realised fresh trout was available “right here on our doorstep” or that so much produce came from Hampshire.
Emily Grice, Food and Nutrition Teacher, said: “Hampshire Fare and LEAF Education’s visits were informative, interactive and engaging. The workshops made learning about local and seasonal ingredients accessible for all. They not only helped the students deliver their recipes, but also provided an insight into the world beyond school, and how to support their communities and environment.”
James Langer, Food Technology Teacher, added: “The talks were educational and offered an insight into local produce and producers. The sessions were truly engaging for our students and the information given will be essential for the students’ current GCSE written assessment.”