Youngsters are being given a healthy option in their school vending machines, thanks to Heart of Englands Fine Foods (HEFF).
A project to pilot healthier vending machines has been launched in two Shropshire schools: William Brookes School in Much Wenlock and Lacon Childe School in Cleobury Mortimer.
And after just two days in operation, the healthier vending is already a big hit with pupils, with products flying off the shelves, HEFF said.
The machines are stocked on a daily basis with fresh products, including fruit portions, local mineral water and vegetable chips - which pupils are enjoying as much as regular crisps, said Lacon Childe’s cook Diana Davis.
“It is very early days and we did wonder whether the kids would mind paying a little bit more for certain products but it so far has been very popular and they seem prepared to try new things,” she added.
The pilot will run for four weeks before the project is launched across the West Midlands in late spring.
The aim of the Healthier Vending Machines in Schools Project is to provide two schools per county this academic year, and two next year, with HEFF’s vending machines.
Sophie Gethin, project executive for HEFF said: “Not only will this pilot introduce a new route to healthier eating in schools but regional producers will benefit through the creation of a sustainable, previously unexplored market for their products, enabling them to expand and develop exciting, enhanced product ranges specifically for vending machines.”
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