“Food Hour has been such a success at the school. We’re usually dragging parents in from the playground to join our courses… this was fully booked within an hour of being advertised, and they all turned up! The children and teachers loved getting involved.”
— Claire Crockford, Deputy Head, Trelai Primary School
Introduction
The Food Hour project, funded through the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, is a hands-on educational initiative designed to build lifelong food skills and increase food confidence among children and families. Designed in alignment with the new Welsh curriculum, the project integrates cooking, growing, nutrition, and sustainability into everyday learning, nurturing a new generation of informed, confident food citizens.
Building on the success of the nationally recognised Food & Fun programme, Food Hour is the latest innovation delivered in collaboration with Food Sense Wales, Public Health Nutrition and Dietetic Services at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and the education catering team at Cardiff Council, made possible by the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy team.
Background: Building on proven success
The Food & Fun pilot began in 2015 as a response to concerns around food insecurity and holiday hunger. Designed to provide nutritious meals, physical activity, and food education during school holidays, the pilot was a major success and has since been adopted as a national programme across Wales.
Inspired by that model, Food Hour was developed to embed food education into the school day, equipping children with the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm to engage with food in healthy, sustainable ways. Additionally, the Food Hour initiative sought to encourage more students to take advantage of the Wales Free School Meal program.
The food hour approach
The Food Hour is a daily, curriculum-aligned programme delivered in primary schools, centred around four core themes:
- Nutrition Education
- Practical Cooking
- Growing Food
- Sustainability
Through these themes, pupils explore where their food comes from, how to prepare it, and how to make informed choices, both for their health and the planet. The sessions focus on real-life, practical learning, including:
- Cooking and budgeting skills
- Seasonal and local food awareness
- Growing fruit and vegetables
- Sustainable food systems
To support whole-community engagement, the project also includes:
- Staff training for school and catering teams
- Family engagement sessions such as “cook and create” events
- Take-home recipe kits and training opportunities for parents to build a home-school food connection
Early outcomes and impact
The pilot phase has reached 210 Year 5 pupils across six primary schools, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers, pupils, and families and a self-reported increase in the uptake of free school meals due to taking part in the Food Hour.
Feedback Highlights:
- 97.5% of pupils enjoyed the Food Hour sessions
- 90% learned something new
- 100% participated in healthy eating activities
- 94% enjoyed the recipes they cooked
- 95% reported learning about sustainability
“Brilliant parent bonding experience! Even my child with food aversions enjoyed making the food—even if he didn’t eat it.”
— Parent from a Cook & Create session
“I was nervous about how my Year 5s would behave, but they all loved it and were really engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed myself too!”
— Year 5 Teacher, Hywel Dda Primary School
Evaluation
Challenges and learnings
Like many school-based pilot projects, timing proved a key challenge. The project began gaining momentum just as the summer term ended, requiring the team to consult, develop, and deliver simultaneously.
Despite this, the pilot demonstrated the concept’s potential and produced a robust set of resources that are ready to be rolled out or picked up at a later date if immediate funding isn’t secured.
The Backing Local Firms Fund was pivotal in making this pilot possible, providing the funding and capacity required to bring the concept to life in real-world settings.
Looking Ahead: From Pilot to Programme
Following the path of Food & Fun, partners hope to see Food Hour evolve from pilot to national programme, with a broader rollout across primary schools in Wales.
Discussions are already underway about:
- Adapting content for younger and older primary age groups
- Scaling delivery across more schools and regions
- Evaluating impact on Free School Meal uptake and long-term behaviour change
While continued funding will be essential for this next stage, the tools, partnerships, and enthusiasm are already in place to take Food Hour forward.
Conclusion
The Food Hour project is more than just a series of school activities, it’s a foundation for long-term change. By equipping children with the skills to cook, grow, and think critically about food, it lays the groundwork for a healthier, more food-literate generation.
Backed by the Backing Local Firms Fund, this project shows how education, health, and the foundational economy can come together to create a stronger, more resilient Wales—one Food Hour at a time.
