St Peter's College in Palmerston North runs pop-up bakery to provide students with real-life experience

Matthew Jensen drew customers to Dandelion Bakery with his effervescent personality. Photo / Judith Lacy

From Shrek masks and Manawatū Rugby jerseys to a beaming smile and dancing tongs, St Peter's College students had hundreds and thousands of ways to get the attention of potential bakery customers.

Then there was the pleasant, soothing voice that uttered the classic line "what can I help you with today".

On Wednesday, three Year 7 and 8 classes ran a pop-up bakery providing a real-life experience for the foods, art, and young enterprise students.

Elise Allen had many techniques in her toolbox to get people to buy from Daddy's Sprinkles, including this fish sign. Photo / Judith Lacy

Bakery names included Daddy's Sprinkles, Autumn Dreams and Dandelion Bakery. There was also Milky Way Bakery, Pizza Hub +, and Luigi's Delicious Delicacies.

Sunshine Bakery had an appealing tagline - every bite feels like a sunny day.

Junior projects lead Lisa Purda said the art students did the signs, decorations and menus, young enterprise students worked on advertising, pricing, and break-even point, while the foods students did the baking. They had to collaborate with the other classes for their respective bakeries and then there was the setting up, selling, and packing up.

Parents, teachers and students were invited to buy everything from pies, pizza and calzone to chelsea buns, lime lamingtons and madeleines.

Lois Kinsman (left), Madison McDougall, and Sanah Singh were part of the Sunshine Bakery team. Photo / Judith Lacy

Year 7 and 8 students running their own businesses in a real-life context was such a great learning experience for them, Purda said.

It was heartening senior students acted as mentors and helped the younger ones on the day.

For many of the junior students, it was their first encounter with managing a large project, serving the public, food handling in a public context, and most definitely running a business.

Staff are always trying to find new ways for students to experience learning. In the junior projects space, they like to do this through experiential learning and applying the skills and theory taught, she said.