Food Quality First – Can You Taste the Difference?
Led by Growing Real Food for Nutrition CIC in partnership with the Shropshire Good Food Partnership

In 2025, GRFFN - Food Quality First will launch as a citizen science pilot across 10 primary schools in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. The project invites students to explore the concept of food quality through comparative taste testing of locally or school grown versus more conventionally-sourced crops.

By using taste as a sensory tool, children will begin to recognise differences in food quality that relate to how food is grown and its nutritional value. This hands-on experience will support classroom learning and spark curiosity around where food comes from, how it’s produced, and what makes it nourishing.

The project raises awareness of the decline in key nutrients—such as minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients—linked to modern farming systems, and how this affects not just the flavour of food but our long-term health and wellbeing. Students will gain an early understanding of how good food can help them feel well, stay energised, and thrive.

At its heart, Food Quality First is about empowering children with the knowledge and confidence to make healthier, informed food choices—choices that support both personal wellbeing and the health of the planet. By nurturing their ability to taste, question, and choose, the project helps equip a new generation to seek out what’s best for them and their future.

For more information, visit www.grffn.org.uk.