When Sarah Cowie and Courtney Tremlett were asked to design a product in their food technology class neither girl had any idea how popular their minty-mallow slice would end up being.
The tasty chocolate slice is so good that Auckland company Loaf Handcrafted Bread has taken it on board and it will be trialled at trendy food markets such as Nosh and Farro Fresh within the next month.
The girls' creation started about eight months ago when their innovative food technology teacher Debra Scragg challenged her students at Rangitoto College to do more than just cook for their credits.
Knowing how important it is for students to gain experience in a real-world environment, she approached Auckland-based bakery Loaf, which has come on board as a real-life client case study.
The company's director, celebrity chef Sean Armstrong, challenged the Year 13 students to come up with something that would appeal to young people and was additive and preservative free. He has been mentoring the students ever since.
The girls have tried about 20 modifications and are now creating a colourful top to appeal to children.
The slice is one of two products Mr Armstrong is now backing and preparing for sale to the public.
The other is an orange-blueberry loaf created by classmate Shirley Li.