Over the past eight weeks, I’ve had the privilege of visiting eight national schools in Cavan to deliver an 8-hour School Food Programme on behalf of Cavan’s Food Network, @createdincavan. This programme reached 226 pupils in 3rd and 4th classes across several schools, including:
• Butlersbridge N.S
• Ballyhaise N.S
• Farnham N.S
• Killygarry N.S
• St. Mary’s Boys N.S, Belturbet
• Crubany N.S
• Kilmore Central School
• Castletara N.S
Key Takeaways and Observations from the Sessions:
I was impressed by the students’ knowledge of local food producers, cafes, and hotels within the Created in Cavan Network. They loved sharing stories about the producers they were familiar with, the foods they had tasted, and and especially loved the videos shown throughout the programme featuring various food producers in the network.
Their passion for cooking and gardening stood out. Many children spoke fondly of cooking and growing food with their families, particularly with their grandparents, and loved sharing these memories.
They were also eager to try new foods—our new tasting sessions, featuring crackers from “Mushrooms With Love” (Ballyconnell) and apple juice from Scott’s Cider (Ballinagh), were a big hit.
Many pupils had special memories of family outings to Cavan’s hospitality venues, such as Cavan Crystal Hotel, Kilmore Hotel, Clover House, Café Mana, and Latte Da, which they spoke about with huge excitement.
The students showed great enthusiasm for the cottage markets as well, where they enjoyed hands-on activities, meeting food producers, and all local live performances.
Above all, they were eager to learn and couldn’t wait to share their new knowledge with others—they’re future food influencers in the making!
A big thank you to all the schools and wonderful teachers for welcoming me, and a special thanks to Created in Cavan for making this programme possible.
As a continuation of the programme, all pupils are invited to visit us at our Christmas Market this year, where they’ll have the chance to meet Created in Cavan food producers in person.
To learn more about Created in Cavan, visit their website here, and don’t miss our Christmas Cottage Market on December 7th and 8th 20, from 1–7 PM on Townhall Street! Click here for further information.