CHILDREN swapped their classroom for the supermarket aisle on a visit to Tesco Extra in Stockton to take part in a Farm To Fork Trail, in a quest to find out more about the food on their plate and how it gets there.

Backed by Diabetes UK, the Children’s Food Trust and the NFU amongst others, Farm To Fork is the first initiative of Tesco’s Eat Happy Project, a major new food education programme that is committed to improving children’s relationship with food.

Farm To Fork will see food suppliers across the country opening their farms and factories to teach children how, for example, milk is produced, where eggs come from and how lettuce grows. Specially trained colleagues in more than 700 Tesco stores across the UK will also be teaching children about different foods and giving practical demonstrations, for example, baking bread, tasting new fruits and vegetables and learning all about fish.

Tesco’s ambition is to give one every primary school in the UK opportunity to go on the trails, to support their syllabus in learning about food, farming and nutrition.

On their trail, pupils aged five and six, from Harrow Gate Primary School were treated to an interactive learning session behind the scenes at the Tesco store to see first-hand and learn up close how some of the food they eat makes it way to their plate. The children were offered different activities in all the major departments such as the produce department and the cheese counter, where they were given an opportunity to try a piece of fruit or cheese they have never eaten before.