Celebrity chef and GBBO champion, Matty Edgell has announced the opening of this year’s Veolia Orchard scheme, inviting schools and community groups to apply for either five fruit trees or ten strawberry plants.
Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company, runs its Orchard scheme in areas where it delivers essential recycling and waste services. Since 2022, 1,995 fruit trees and 3,620 strawberry plants have been planted across 716 schools and 55 community organisations. Each orchard is part of an environmental network increasing biodiversity in local areas, with the recipients benefiting from access to home-grown produce and hands-on learning through nature.
The launch announcement was made at Beaumont School today, where Veolia celebrated its Orchard Bakes competition, which invited previous orchard recipients to create original recipes inspired by the fruits of their growing orchards. The school in St Albans was crowned the winner for their chutney recipe, made from apples and pears grown in their orchard, donated by Veolia in 2023.
As prize winners, the school enjoyed an exclusive baking workshop delivered by Matty Edgell. Veolia has also funded the development of an outdoor seating area by the school orchard, a space where students can connect with nature and deepen their understanding of biodiversity. From Monday 21 September to Friday 20 November, schools and community organisations can apply for their very own orchard. Successful candidates will hear back in December with the delivery of plants taking place in Spring 2027.
Pascal Hauret, Chief Operating Officer, Commercial & Municipal at Veolia said : “The continued growth of Veolia Orchard reflects our ongoing commitment to environmental education and community engagement. For the past five years, we’ve witnessed the transformative power of these green spaces from school playgrounds to care homes and places of worship. With over 700 schools and community groups already flourishing across our nationwide Orchard network, we hope to branch out this season and reach 1000 orchards. Each one represents another step towards a greener, more sustainable future.”
GBBO Winner, Matty Edgell said: “The Veolia Orchard scheme is a fantastic initiative and I am really excited to be involved with it. Through the scheme, Veolia has done some incredible environmental work with its nationwide orchards, which has seen thousands of trees and strawberry plants being planted. They have also opened the door to so many learning opportunities for students across a range of subject areas, in such a fun and engaging way, which I think is so important. As a teacher at heart, I absolutely love that and am really excited to be part of this year’s launch.”
Martin Atkinson, Headteacher at Beaumont School said: “”We are incredibly proud of our students for winning the Veolia Orchard Bakes competition and for seeing their creativity recognised in this way. Their winning chutney, made using pears and apples grown in our very own school orchard, is a wonderful example of how our students can turn what they grow themselves into something truly creative. We are delighted to be welcoming Matty Edgell to Beaumont to celebrate their achievement and give our students the exciting opportunity to learn from a GBBO champion.”
Each orchard comes with a free limited supply of Pro-Grow, Veolia’s nutrient-rich soil conditioner made from recycled garden waste, to support early growth of the saplings and seedlings. Applicants can also opt for an interactive session with Veolia’s experts, who guide participants through planting whilst sharing insights on the long-term benefits to communities and the environment.
Dining and Cooking