FOOD technology students from Cromwell Community College got the perfect chance to research ideas for their coursework during a school trip to the supermarket.

Thirteen students from the Chatteris secondary school travelled to the Anglia Co-operative store in St Ives to help them with their GCSE project.

The Year 11s learned all about Fairtrade - watching short films which explained how it has transformed the lives of millions of people in Third World countries by guranteeing farmers a fair price for their produce.

Store manager Jonathan Quinn showed the teenagers around the supermarket and allowed them to conduct a survey, which revealed customers’ views on Fairtrade.

Food technology teacher Jackie Cox said the tour would inspire students to create their own Fairtrade product for the school project.

She said: “We were very grateful for the store’s time and input. The students came back with a much clearer picture of how Fairtrade works and how it fits in with the Co-operative ethos.

“The information they received, together with the survey they conducted, will be analysed at school and will help the students form conclusions when they shape their ideas for their own products.”