Pupils in Moray ‘give peas a chance’ with school meals makeover

Give Peas a Chance – developed by the Soil Association through funding by Sustain’s Bridging the Gap programme – aims to bring the vegetable into school meals in unusual ways, creating a menu that is both healthy and sustainable.  

In addition to new menu items, pupils will also be taking part in hands-on activities and classroom talks to learn more about how the climate-friendly crop makes its way from the fields to their forks.  

The new school menus contain dishes including the ChocoPea brownie, ChocoPea cookies and pea soup.

Cllr Kathleen Robertson, Chair of Moray Council's Education, Children’s and Leisure Services Committee, said: “We’re always looking for ways to make school meals more engaging, nutritious and sustainable. This project is a fantastic example of how we can do all three, while giving pupils the opportunity to understand where their food comes from.”

Sarah Gowanlock, Partnerships Manager, Soil Association Scotland, added: “We’re delighted to bring this exciting pilot project to Moray, and to bring organic split peas to even more pupils in Scotland’s northeast. In collaboration with Moray Council, we want to show the power of public procurement for getting more of these types of high-quality Scottish ingredients on to school meal plates.” 

Swansons Food Wholesalers, Moray Council school’s fruit and vegetable supplier for 20 years, hold a crucial role in the pilot - delivering the peas to all schools in region.

Scott Air, Director, Swansons Wholesalers remarked: “It is great to be able to help a Scottish farmer to establish themselves in delivering this fantastic product out to so many schools, helping kids to broaden their minds towards the products they eat.”

Alison Johnston Project Manager Royal Northern Countryside Initiative said: “The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) and Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) are delighted to be working with the Soil Association and other partners to deliver the Give Peas a Chance! pilot project funded through Sustain and the Bridging the Gap fund. We look forward to engaging young people and teachers in Moray to share the power of the pea and embed healthy and sustainable diets for all through an education offering including classroom visits and educational resources.”

Phil Swire, Organic Farmer and Pea Producer at Balmakewan Farm, said: "It’s fantastic to be partnering with Moray Council on this pilot. Growing peas is an important part of our crop rotation and helps keep the farm’s soils healthy. I’m delighted to be able to supply locally grown ingredients into the school meals service, allowing more pupils to give peas a chance!"