Pupils chip in at planting day at Newbury Showground in preparation for The Newbury and District Agricultural Society’s annual potato challenge

Four schools took part in a planting day at Newbury Showground in preparation for The Newbury and District Agricultural Society’s annual potato challenge.

On Monday, March 17, primary school pupils from Mary Hare, Robert Sandilands, Enborne and Brookfields spent the morning at the showground planting and learning all about the UK’s most popular vegetable.

The schoolchildren took part in four different activities at the showground.

These included tasting leek and potato soup and chocolate potato cakes, decorating potato cakes with icing and sprinkles, learning the story of the invention of crisps and taking part in a crisp taste experiment, and planting two different varieties of potatoes – Rocket and Pentland Javelin.

All potatoes planted by the pupils were taken back to their respective schools to be grown.

On June 16, the four schools will return to the showground to harvest their potatoes joined by pupils from Calcot, St Joseph’s and St John’s, who will also be taking part in the potato challenge.

Certificates and prizes will be awarded to the schools who have grown the heaviest yields.