Growing a love of fresh food at Clarice Cliff
For the past three years, our families have been part of a project helping to make fresh, healthy food more accessible and affordable.
Our partnership with Farm Fresh Revolution has now come to an end, but its impact is continuing to be felt across our school community.
Farm Fresh Revolution helps families build healthier food habits by bringing fresh produce directly into school communities. It's more than just about providing food. It’s about giving people the opportunity to discover new ingredients and learn where food comes from.
Our families could access fresh produce through Farm Fresh’s school market stall, with volunteers on hand to chat with families, share ideas and encourage children to try something new.
And it became something that families really looked forward to:
“We love the atmosphere of a Farm Fresh Day. The volunteers create such a buzz of excitement and curiosity when handing out the food bags and giving the children fresh foods to try on the market stall.”
Feedback from our families shows just how much the project meant to them.
Families told us that having access to affordable fresh produce helped them save money, with one family saying the project had helped them save £20 a week on their shopping.
Others spoke about the difference it had made to what they eat at home, including one family who said:
“We definitely eat more fresh produce now.”
Families also told us that they were trying new foods, learning more about food production and gaining a greater appreciation for British farmers.
“I have more respect for British Farmers. I understand the work that goes into the produce.”
Another family highlighted the wider impact of the project:
“The Farm Fresh bag means I can afford to take my children out. We like to go swimming and soft play.”
For pupils, the Farm Fresh visits brought a sense of fun too! From discovering new fruits and vegetables to picking up a banana from the stall and seeing ‘Banana Man’. The project helped make trying fresh food a positive experience.
Although the three-year project has now finished, the healthy eating ethos is continuing.
As part of the project’s legacy, Farm Fresh Revolution gifted fruit trees to our academy, which have now been planted. The team also left behind a recipe book to help families continue exploring fresh food and new recipes.
And we have taken these ideas even further by introducing our own Sunshine Café.
The café gives children the opportunity to taste different foods, flavours and textures, including ingredients that may be unfamiliar to them:
“I wanted to continue the Farm Fresh healthy eating ethos in school and have introduced our Sunshine Café. The children love it! Their willingness to eat the unfamiliar and healthy foods put out for them to try has been wonderful to see and will definitely be talked about at home.”
It’s a lovely example of how a project can leave something behind that continues to grow.
For Clarice Cliff families, the feedback shows that difference – from trying new foods and cooking more fresh produce to learning more about where food comes from.
As Farm Fresh Revolution founder Sally Mercer puts it:
“We want to inspire every adult and child to know the benefits of healthy, great-tasting food.”
That’s a legacy we’re proud to continue at Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff.