Hundreds of people have eaten lunch from an organic menu at a Cardiff primary school, chosen by pupils and sourced locally.
Organised jointly by Cardiff Catering, Organic Centre Wales and Riverside Market Association (RCMA), with funding from the Better Organic Business Links project, children from Kitchener Primary were asked to pick from a variety of local food.
They chose leek and potato for a soup starter course and carrots and broccoli to accompany a main meal, all sourced from Ty Mawr Organic Farm. Bread was made with organic flour provided by Allen’s Bakery and 550 people were fed.
The pupils also produced posters to promote the event and many have been involved in interactive sessions to learn more about food, where it comes from, farms, seasonality, food miles and what children like and eat at school and home.
Food is a large part of the curriculum at Kitchener Primary and the dining hall was renamed Kitchener Kafe in 2008, when Appetite for Life funding was secured from Cardiff Catering.
Following their lunch, Riverside Community Co-Op set up a stall in the school playground, where parents were able to buy bags of fresh fruit, vegetables, salad and stir-fry ingredients. They were also able to sample the leek and potato soup the pupils ate at lunchtime.
Executive Member for Schools and Lifelong Learning Councillor Freda Salway said: “I am delighted to see so many pupils and guests getting involved in such an important issue. The aim of the day was to raise awareness of locally sourced produce and healthy eating. While the lunch sounds delicious, I know this has also proved to be a huge success for everyone involved. ”
Better Organic Business Links (BOBL) is a three-year project to build organic supply chains. It has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Organic Centre Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide information on organic food and farming to producers, food businesses, consumers and others. It is based at Aberystwyth University and run by a partnership consisting of the ADAS, the Organic Research Centre Elm Farm and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth Uni. see www.organic.aber.ac.uk
Ty Mawr Organic is a farm near Abergavenny. It is a regular stall holder at the Riverside and Roath weekly markets.
