A fresh crop of fruit and vegetable traders took Borough Market by storm yesterday, as Hackney schoolchildren set up stalls piled high with home-grown produce.

The green-fingered youngsters worked had hard to nurture their crops, including pumpkins, squash and beetroot, from seed in school gardens and vegetable plots.

Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins was on hand with guidance as they prepared for the ‘Harvest Sale’.

They were joined by children from neighbouring boroughs as part of the market’s 1000th year celebrations and by 1pm, they had sold out.

Keith Davis, managing director of Borough Market, said: “For 1000 years, traders have gathered on the south side of the river to buy and sell their wares. Today, the next generation are trying their hands at being market traders for the day.

“This is a fantastic way to help young people about the importance of where our food comes from.”

The Harvest Sale comes from a partnership between Borough Market and charity School Food Matters.

Funded by United St. Saviour’s Charity, the programme has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

This year the children raised an impressive £310, which will be donated to FareShare, an award-winning charity fighting food poverty.

Stephanie Wood, founder and director of School Food Matters, said: “We are hugely grateful to Borough Market and United St Saviours Charity for inviting us back to Borough for a second time this year. T

“he children will be making the most of all the tips from received from market traders and using their enterprise skills to turn their autumn veg into cash for FareShare. This is food education at its very best!”