Harlaxton pupils aim for success at Lincolnshire Show with their hash brown pizza creation

Young entrepreneurs have cooked up a tater-ly original idea which they hope will wow judges at a county competition later this year – but they need a little more dough to get there.

Harlaxton Church of England Primary School’s Enterprise Club is raising funds to enter the Lincolnshire Show Schools Challenge on June 18 and 19, where they’ll showcase their creation: the Spudza – a hash brown pizza.

The idea for the potato-powered pizza came from a research project into popular Lincolnshire food and snack products.

After surveys and brainstorming, the club – of 16 pupils – settled on a twist to the traditional pizza base, swapping dough for homemade hash brown.

Each child contributed their own recipe variation, using core ingredients like potato, onion, egg, salt and pepper for the base.

The results were a range of personalised pizzas that teachers and pupils alike described as “really yummy” and “like a pizza but better”.

“As the children have created their own recipes, ingredients may differ slightly,” said club leader Nickie Tyne.

"An example would be potato, onion, egg, salt and pepper for the base, with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, tomato purée, pizza sauce, Lincolnshire sausages and herbs grown in the Enterprise Club."

The pupils have encountered a few bumps along the way, such as getting the hash brown base to hold together properly, but they’ve embraced the challenge and are now testing ways to perfect their recipe.

To get to the show, the children must raise £500 to hire a coach – and they’re doing it one step at a time.

On Tuesday, the club will take on a marathon challenge: running 26.2 miles during lunch by completing 250 laps of the school field.

“The children are doing a great job with their fundraising and are confident they will achieve and possibly exceed their target,” added Nickie.

“They are feeling excited to take on the challenge. Although some are nervous as they are not usually runners, they are looking forward to it.”

A JustGiving page launched to support the club has already raised £569, surpassing the original £500 target.

The Enterprise Club meets weekly on Monday afternoons and has already packed a lot into its sessions.

Activities have included growing herbs, testing recipes, creating posters, and learning about gardening, marketing and packaging with help from parents who work in those fields.

The Lincolnshire Show will mark the first time the Spudza is presented to a public audience.

The pupils say they are looking forward to seeing how people react to their creation and are eager to see what other schools bring to the competition.

“We’re excited to see reactions to our product, look forward to taking part in the challenge, and are curious to see what other schools have done.” said Nickie on behalf of the pupils.

“We’re nervous, as we aren't sure how people will feel about our Spudza and presenting it to lots of people, but we are excited to take on the challenge.”

If successful, the club plans to develop more food projects for future competitions, hoping Enterprise Club will inspire more creative ideas.