Lessons in healthy eating

Year six pupils from Deddington Primary School were invited to lunch — but first they had to pick their own.

The children were invited to Peach Barns in North Aston, the new home of the Oxfordshire Pub Company, to try out its organic farm.

To mark the opening of Peach Barns, the children were invited in the learn about where food comes from, how it’s grown and harvested and what’s in season when.

As well as picking their own vegetables, they prepared the vegetables for lunch and made pudding of strawberries and cream. There was also a tasting session as pupils made their own salad dressing.

Deputy head and Year Six teacher Jane Cross said: “When Peach approached us to take part in this healthy eating workshop we jumped at the chance, as promoting healthy eating throughout our school has been a priority for some time now.

“There’s no substitute for such practical hands-on learning and it’s obvious from the children’s enthusiasm that they’ve got a lot out of it.

“I’m not sure which bit they’ll remember most from today — picking vegetables in the fields, watching the chef busy at work or enjoying the delicious meal that they all helped create, but it’s clearly been a big hit.”

Peach co-founder Hamish Stoddart said: “The basis for a long-term healthy diet has to start when you’re young, which is why it’s really important for children to see for themselves the value and health benefits of fresh, seasonal produce and to understand how that produce reaches their plates.

“We want to do our best to keep an eye on the next generation — we work with primary schools near all our pubs to support healthy eating activities by raising money and giving practical help – and it’s great to keep it really local by having Deddington children here at the barn today to experience it for themselves.”