Borough Market: Less than one in three children can identify a courgette

Less than 33 per cent of children can identify a courgette or beetroot, new research from Borough Market shows.

The market commissioned a survey of more than 1,000, children in London aged seven to 11 to find out how much the youngsters knew about fruit and vegetables.

When asked to identify different produce, carrots and strawberries were the most recognised, with 95 per cent of children surveyed correctly identifying them. 

But, courgettes and squash were among the least recognised, with just 31 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively, identifying them correctly. 

The most mysterious vegetable was the beetroot, which just one in four children surveyed could correctly identify. 

Almost a third of the children said that growing their own produce would encourage them to try more varieties of fruit and vegetables.

This came in above seeing their family eating more, being offered more at school, and seeing their friends eating more.

The research comes as Borough Market prepares to host 12 schools to sell fruit and vegetables they have grown themselves, on October 2.

Since 2011, Borough Market and School Food Matters have been running the Young Marketeers programme, designed to help schoolchildren in London understand where their food comes from and how to cook with it.

Stephanie Slater, founder and chief executive at School Food Matters, said: “It’s a shame that so many children leave school without understanding that food comes from the soil, not the supermarket. 

“Each year, children tell us how much they love learning outdoors and deploying their entrepreneurial skills on Market Day. 

“Every child in every school can develop the skills they need to lead happy and healthy lives.”

 Pictured top: Borough Market (Picture: WordRidden/Flickr)