Pupils from Malsis preparatory school, in Cross Hills, North Yorkshire, have christened their new cookery room with cooking equipment they won in British Food Fortnight's School Challenge last year and help from two award-winning chefs. The co-owner of The Bull at Broughton, Michelin starred chef Nigel Haworth, adapted some mouth-watering canapé recipes for the school, whilst the award-winning Head Chef of The Bull, Richard Upton, helped the pupils to put them into practice.

Using their new cooking equipment pupils created canapés using locally produced, fresh ingredients. They made Mature Wensleydale Cheese on Toast with McKenzie's of Blubberhouses Taste Tradition Sweet Cured Bacon and Worcester Sauce dressing, William Hunter's deep fried Parsnip Fritters with cumin dip, Stamford's of Skipton chipolatas: Gloucester Old Spot, Cumberland Pork and Black Pudding with English Mustard relish, Baby Yorkshire puddings with Carleton Roast beef and Horseradish Cream and Treacle Cured Scottish Salmon on Homemade Brown Bread.

Nigel Haworth, who throughout his career has been renowned as an ambassador for local food and promoting the importance of understanding provenance and the seasons, commented “It is important that chefs link with schools when they can.  I am delighted that Richard has had this opportunity to work with the children of Malsis School, who at 11 to 13 years old show amazing maturity and enthusiasm for food. This is the time when children should be learning about food; where it comes from; the importance of eating local food and its nutritional value – I wish them all the best with their new kitchen”

The new cookery room was funded by kind donations from parents. It boasts four fully equipped cookery stations and a demonstration zone. Marcus Peel, Headmaster of Malsis School, remarked: “We think it is essential to instil from a young age how good food is produced, to create a healthy life-long habit and understanding. The cookery room has opened up all sorts of extra-curricular opportunities for the children; from making pancakes using free range eggs from their own chickens to fresh baked trout caught by themselves during activity time.”

For more inspiring ideas about how to integrate British food into the Curriculum, see the Love British Food resource guide Putting the Ooo! back into food.