Children from 12 primary schools across London will step into the shoes of Borough Market traders this summer as the Young Marketeers Summer Sale returns on Thursday 2 July, 11am – 1.30pm.
At the annual Summer Sale, a new generation of Londoners will sell their fresh produce at the capital’s famous bustling food market. Pupils will arrive with a harvest they have grown from seed at school, including dwarf French beans, lettuce, peas and radishes. Every penny raised will help provide meals for vulnerable families across London through Borough Market’s partner, food redistribution charity Plan Zheroes.
The Summer Sale marks the culmination of the Young Marketeers programme, a long-running partnership between Borough Market and food education charity School Food Matters. Through the programme, children from schools in boroughs including Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Hammersmith, Lambeth and Southwark gain hands-on experience of growing food in a sustainable way, learn about which fruit and vegetables are in season and discover the skills required to run a successful market stall.
Borough Market and School Food Matters have been working together through the Young Marketeers programme for more than a decade. During that time, more than 63,700 children have taken part, raising over £15,700 for charitable causes.
Borough Market is renowned for the quality of its produce and the expertise of its traders, many of whom work closely with small independent growers and have a detailed understanding of how to get the best out of ingredients. The Young Marketeers programme aims to share this knowledge and approach to good quality food with children.
Pupils receive advice and support from Borough Market traders including Sharon Crane from The Gated Garden; learning how to present the produce, price their products, manage transactions and drum up sales. Having grown their own crops, the pupils will be ready to chat with shoppers about the work that went into their wares. It will be the students’ earliest experience of working in a busy environment and will provide valuable lessons in communication, teamwork and enterprise that extend far beyond the Market.
By visiting the Summer Sale, shoppers can help reward months of hard work by the participating pupils while raising vital funds for Plan Zheroes. Working in partnership with Borough Market since 2011, the charity redistributes surplus food from the Market’s traders to local charities and community organisations, providing meals for people in need while preventing good food from going to waste.
The Young Marketeers Summer Sale will take place in the Market Hall at Borough Market from 11am to 1.30pm on Thursday 2 July 2026.
Shane Holland, chair of trustees, Borough Market, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming schools from across our London community to Borough Market for this year’s Young Marketeers Summer Sale. As a charitable trust, celebrating good food and helping people develop a better understanding of where it comes from is at the heart of what we do. The pupils have worked incredibly hard to grow their produce and learn what it takes to run a successful market stall and we may well see some of them return as future traders! We’re proud to support their efforts while raising funds for our long-standing charity partner, Plan Zheroes.”
Stephanie Slater, founder and chief executive, 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 enterprising young gardeners from across London to shine.”