Edible enterprises market sale day

The Newham public team in collaboration with Kaizen Primary School held a vibrant herb and flower stall just before the Easter break. Year 4 pupils from the school held the stall at Stratford Broadway market, selling rosemary, thyme, mint, and daffodils which were all propagated from their school’s Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) planters. SuDS planters are designed to manage rainwater sustainably while introducing greenery into urban spaces. They also serve as living classrooms—offering hands-on opportunities for pupils to connect with nature, food, and sustainability.

The pupils nurtured the plants, developed marketing strategies, designed signage, set prices, and even wrote an array of recipes for each herb to share with paying customers. Their sales approach included songs, engaging storytelling, and special deals which sparked plenty of interest from passing customers. In just one hour, they sold out, raising £72 to reinvest into future food growing projects at the school.

This initiative is a perfect example of taking a whole-school approach to food, combining food education with enterprise, creativity, and wellbeing. By linking food growing with real-world experiences, schools can lay the groundwork for healthier children and communities through positive connections with nutritious food and understand the broader role food plays in health, community, and the environment.

Find out more about how the team is working with schools on taking a whole school approach to food here https://www.newham.gov.uk/school-meals-newham/whole-school-approach-food