The Mayor and Mayoress of Christchurch, Cllr David Flagg and Denise Flagg, visited Burton Primary School to see the work of one of the Mayor’s nominated charities in action.

They were joined by the Chairman of Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust, Julie Ratcliffe, at one of a series of food demonstrations in Christchurch schools arranged under the auspices of the Trust.

The demonstrations at Burton Primary were carried out by chefs Ian Hewitt from The Ship in Distress and Jamie Fanger from The Crooked Beam who cooked dishes with an Indian theme.

The Mayor saw the chefs prepare three Indian dishes – a chicken and apricot dish, a fish curry and a vegetable curry – and was able join the children in sampling the food.

After the event, the Mayor said: “It’s marvellous to see the children enjoying the interactive way the chefs go about preparing the food and teaching them how to cook as well as choosing healthy options.

“Ian and Jamie are doing a splendid job in passing on their knowledge and skills and I hope the children have learnt something about food they may not have tried before. The chefs may even have converted some children who previously thought they didn’t like certain foods.

“I’m delighted to experience first hand one of my charities and see how the money is being put to good use in providing an education for our youngsters.”

Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust has already carried out food demonstrations in Christchurch Junior School, St Joseph’s Primary School and The Priory School and will continue with demonstrations at Mudeford Junior School.

The aims of the Trust are: to advance education and promote the health of the residents of Christchurch area by providing and/or assisting in the provision of education, training and guidance on nutritional health and food preparation