Leeds

Local children across Leeds to sell school-grown fruit and vegetables at Kirkgate Market

What a fantastic initiative.

Clementine Hall - 26th June 2026

Children from schools across Leeds will swap the classroom for market stalls this summer.

And that's because they'll be selling fresh, school-grown fruit and vegetables to the public in support of a great cause.

Children from seven local primary schools have spent the past few months growing produce from seed with support from expert gardeners as part of Young Marketeers, a food education programme run by charity School Food Matters with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund and Lord Barnby’s Foundation.

Now, they’ll harvest and sell their produce to shoppers, putting their new gardening, teamwork and marketing skills into practice while learning more about where food comes from.

The Young Marketeers Leeds Market Day will take place on Friday 10 July from 11am - 1pm at Kirkgate Market.

Visitors can expect to find the children selling a colourful selection of seasonal produce, such as chard, courgettes, lettuce, microgreens, potatoes, radishes and runner beans.

Stephanie Slater MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters, said: “Food education is a vital life skill, and hands-on experiences such as growing and selling fresh produce can help children build a real connection with food and where it comes from.

"For 15 years, our Young Marketeers programme has been giving children the chance to learn new skills, work as a team and take pride in what they’ve grown. Market Day is a celebration of the value of food education and a moment for hundreds of enterprising young gardeners across the country to shine.”

Money raised from sales on the day will be donated to Incredible Edible Leeds, a not-for-profit organisation which supports over 20 areas of Leeds to run food growing projects.

Last year, Young Marketeers reached 120 schools in 14 cities across England.

What a fantastic initiative.

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