Our Bristol Canteen Gets Incredibly Edible with Mama Bear’s Day Nursery

Our Canteen in Bristol got a green fingered makeover for the Bristol Food Connections Festival today.

Children from neighbouring Mama Bear’s Day Nursery were on hand to plant a new edible front garden as part of the Incredible Edible pop up movement during the festival. A mixture of tasty herbs and shade loving salad leaves will be a permanent new addition to the front of the canteen, brightening up the area as well as giving guests the chance to pick some fresh clippings to try at home.

Led by Incredible Edible volunteer Nikki Morgan, the children learnt all about the different tasty plants they planted before leaving with their own miniature version of an edible front garden to plant at home.

Nikki Morgan from Incredible Edible Bristol talks about the benefits of gardening for young children: “The simple wonder of planting a seed and watching it grow brings immeasurable benefits to a child. Creating a connection between humans and plants hopefully starts them on a journey of discovery of the joy of growing and eating.”

Mama Bear’s Day Nursery, Whiteladies Road, Clifton nursery manager Chloe Chalk explains about how outdoor activities benefit children’s development: “We strongly believe that having access to the outdoor environment is vital to children’s wellbeing. Children thrive when they are able to access the world around them, receiving health benefits from exercise and fresh air and learning about the communities and nature in their local areas. Learning about how to grow and look after plants is a particularly good way to learn about life cycles and supports the children in developing a wide variety of skills and knowledge.”

In addition to the pop up incredible edible front garden planting, River Cottage Canteen is also on the Food Connections Food Trail with a special pudding available from the 1 – 9th May – The Bristol Sundae, a delicious River Cottage twist on the classical Sundae dessert, utilising its best Bristol suppliers.