She Blogs, Therefore She Is.

A food critic of our times... Martha Payne!

Martha Payne, nine years old, anarchist...

Martha, who wrote a hugely successful blog rating her school dinners was silenced by Argyll and Bute council for giving honest ratings of her school dinners. This girl must have been after more curly fries in place of kiwi fruit- right? Not at all! Martha was a hardcore veteran of healthy eating, destined to join the ranks of Jamie Oliver in their plight to give kids brain food and playing footie food. Surely a council would want the children in their schools to have access to better food? Does the kid's opinions of the food not matter?

Initially beginning her blog (titled NeverSeconds) in April as a writing project with her father, Martha used the anonymous title 'Veg' (Clever), with her real name and consequent banning of future food blogging only being released after a headline newspaper feature. A headline newspaper feature that occured because her blog became incredibly popular! After starting the blog in April, within a week Martha had 100,000 visitors and began encouraging readers to donate to the charity 'Mary's Meals'. Not only did Martha raise over £2,000 for Mary's Meals, pupils at her school also benefitted from being allowed unlimited fruit and veg with their school meals. After providing the council and everybody else access to free school dinners market and product research, Martha made one last post titled 'Goodbye' in which she explains the situation and her sadness at being unable to reach her target donation number for Mary's Meals.

Martha photographed her school meals and rated them.

In schools children are encouraged to think innovatively and develop their individual minds. That's what the brochure says, and indeed Martha's school were encouraging of her blogging, with teachers giving permission for her to take photographs of her school meals. The council have effectively stifled a bright young individual with a journalistic eye who wanted to expand her writing skills and make healthier options available to her and her peers.