Pupils from four Richmond schools showed impressive sales skills and entrepreneurial intuition at their market stalls outside Wholefoods last week.

Students from Grey Court School, St Richards CE Primary School, Trafalgar Infant School and Sheen Mount Primary School lined up outside the shop on George Street to sell their handmade chutneys and jams, handing out samples to passersby and using persuasive sales tactics to lure in potential customers.

The Year 7 sales team from Grey Court School were more than happy to chat to Nub News about their work, and said their Strawberry Chutney had been selling out fastest.

"Making the chutney was really easy," said Year 7 pupil Ula.

"At the beginning we had to go to the farm – it was sweaty work!" added Liam, also Year 7.

For Luke, this was his favourite bit. He said: "Making the chutney and going to the farm and picking the strawberries were the best parts."

"My favourite bit was going to the farm - and today, because we get to sell it to people who need it – the hungry public!" added Liam.

"I like selling it to the customers," said Zane.

Two pupils from St Richards CE Primary School, Yuriko and Max, also spoke eloquently to Nub News on a live report about the event.

The pair discussed their favourite parts of the project, how they found the market stall, and confirmed that they would indeed be making chutney again at home.

The event was part of a project run by food education charity School Food Matters in partnership with Wholefoods. A section of the programme focuses on marketing and sales, a skill put into practice last week. Staff from Wholefoods also came out and chatted to pupils on market day.

Year six pupils from Sheen Mount Primary School coined the slogan "Delicious and Nutritious" to win customers, and had individually-designed labels for each jar designed by younger pupils.

"We wanted to make sure that everybody was included in the process," explained Lucy, Year 6. "It could be a bit boring if all the jars had the same sticker.

"Now we can see the creativity in each one and their uniqueness!"

"They wanted each jar to be individual," said Assistant Headteacher Laura Jeffrey. "Part of the marketing workshop was that they look at cereal marketing, and they were inspired by curiously cinnamon."

She said they had had one customer that told pupils it was the best shop he had been in because they were all chatting to him.

Rachel Copus, Partnerships and programmes officer for School Food Matters, said: "I think coming out and seeing people face to face is so much better than just selling to their parents.

"The whole idea of the project is that they learn about food from farm to market.

"It's really special because it's something that they have produced themselves."

The project usually runs from January to July but was modified due to covid this year and ran for two months. Last year pupils sold their chutneys through a click and collect system due to covid rules and Copus was glad to be able to hit the streets again for an in-person market set up. She feels the increase in interest in gardening during lockdown has also helped the project.

"Everyone has been more engaged with gardening and food since lockdown," she said. "We have all just got more interested in food and where it comes from, and the environment."

Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney also popped along to buy some goodies.

She said: "I always want to support my schools with whatever they are doing and particularly these kids who have had such a hard time over the last year.

"What's really nice is that they have been to the farm and produced the food themselves.

Olney, whose own daughter is about to finish primary school, said: "There are so many things they can't do any more – both due to Covid but also the weather!

"It's lovely to see them our in the town centre, and to see that there are still things that they can get involved with. Interacting with people outside school is so important.

"I just think it's a really lovely project - the best thing is that I have got a delicious chutney and jam to take home!"

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