Smiles All Round as Squire’s Frensham Help Pupils Harvest Potatoes

Squire’s Frensham hosted St Mary’s Infant School recently, when pupils visited to unveil their potato crop so the centre could turn their special harvest into freshly made chips!

The pupils had visited the centre back in March, learning how to plant ‘chitted’ potatoes and care for them over the coming weeks. This week saw the pupils return for the long awaited weigh-in with Squire’s Frensham Plant Team – and to find out who had produced the heaviest potato crop with the winning grower receiving a special prize! The centre’s Café Bar team then took over the task of turning each pupil’s potato crop into delicious chips. The children eagerly waited to taste their bounty, enjoying the freshest chips – which had gone from spud to tasty chip in under 30 minutes!

Vicky Page, Centre Manager at Squire’s Frensham, comments: “It has been wonderful to welcome pupils from St Mary’s Infant School first in March, and then again this month, and see how they have got on growing their own potato crop. They have done really well, especially as we have had some tricky growing conditions this year. The children loved the challenge and seem to have learned a lot – it’s tremendous to see their excitement at uncovering their very own potato crop.

“This project is a brilliant way to show the children just where food comes from – potatoes are great to illustrate the process of growing and nurturing vegetables and just how easy it can be with some wonderful rewards at the end! We hope it will encourage the children to go home and keep on growing with their families – who knows what it might inspire them to grow next!”

Above: Pupils from St Mary’s Infant School, Frensham enjoy their visit to Squire’s Garden Centre to turn their potato harvest into freshly made chips.