Enterprising pupils sell healthy snacks to classmates

Oct. 28, 2010 - PRLog -- Enterprising pupils at a South Shields school are selling healthy snacks to their classmates after setting up a fruity tuck shop.

The children at Hadrian Primary are promoting healthy eating and learning about running a business as they open Healthy Hadrian’s Snack Shack each morning break.

The stall has been named and designed by 28 Year 5 pupils with a Hawaiian theme and will sell mini snack bags containing a variety of treats.

They include blackcurrant or strawberry flavoured apple crisps, crunchy Tamari seeds and natural popcorn - all free of the usual artificial sweeteners and colours associated with sweets.

Scott Brown, headteacher at the Baring Street school, said: “The project is giving the children real experience of running a business, including business planning, marketing, ordering stock, customer service and sales – while also promoting healthy eating.

“Everyone involved is really enjoying themselves and we already have plans to expand the business to sell snacks to staff and parents.”

The healthy tuck shop is the first in the region to be set up by former Hadrian pupil and parent governor at the school Lisa Smith, who decided that after 15 years a career in finance management didn’t add up for her any more.

She has decided to go back to the classroom, introducing new business Fruit to Suit to the North-East. The fast growing firm was launched on The Wirral by a concerned mum aiming to transform children’s snacking habits and has already proved a huge hit in the other four areas of the UK it is operating in.

As a working mum herself Lisa, 37, loved the concept of combining enterprise and healthy eating for schoolchildren and just a few weeks into her new franchise venture, four South Tyneside schools have already signed up.

Lisa, who lives in Fort Street, South Shields, with husband Iain and daughters Rebecca, six, and Rachael, three, said: “With two young girls myself I know only too well how much children love sweet snacks, blissfully unaware of the hidden dangers such as tooth decay and obesity.

“Fruit to Suit promotes a healthy alternative at pocket money prices, while giving children direct experience of running a business.  The benefits for schools taking part are numerous, as the programme also meets four of the five key outcomes required by Every Child Matters set by the Government.”

Schools working with Lisa receive a two day business and enterprise package for up to 90 pupils, where children are initially challenged in teams to set up their own company to run a healthy tuck shop in their school.

A tuck shop management team is then helped to produce a business plan for their headteacher and are taken through all the practicalities of running their enterprise, from advertising to ordering stock. Once the tuck shop is launched Lisa conducts three evaluations to check everything is running smoothly.

Lisa also supplies healthy snacks to other schools, nurseries, play centres and crèches without the need for them to commit to the full enterprise package.

Parents or schools can contact Lisa at lisa@fruittosuit.co.uk for more information.

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