BUDDING chefs from across Hampshire have been cooking up a storm thanks to a cookery competition aimed at youngsters.

Pupils at schools across the county were encouraged to take part in the Children’s Food Trust Big Cookathon event, which was aimed at getting families cooking and eating together.

Sophie Janes (see below), 6, a Year 2 pupil at Sarisbury Infant School in Fareham, was one of the winners after cooking up a ‘Speedy Biryani’ from scratch.

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Proud mum Maria said: “It was lovely to see Sophie do grown-up cooking, with proper knives and not a bit of icing sugar in sight!

“The best thing about the Big Cookathon was knowing we were joining loads of other families, instilling the children with a sense of what good food is.”

Locks Heath resident April Hernandez (see below), 13, also scooped a £200 prize for her efforts.

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James Brownlie (see below), from Bishop's Waltham, was chosen as a winner from thousands of families who took part.

The eight-year-old, with the help of his three-year-old twin brother and sister, Lucas and Eleanor, cooked ‘Speedy Biryani’ for their parents, Caroline and Simon.

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Caroline, 37, said that James was inspired to cook after a fishmonger visited his school.

“He came home and told me his tastebuds had changed,” she said.

“Since then he’s been interested in combining flavours and trying new foods.

“I’d baked with them before but I’d never considered making a main meal.”

The Children’s Food Trust’s annual Big Cookathon, the biggest mass cooking event in Britain, aims to get as many people as possible cooking a healthy dish together on the same day.

Linda Cregan, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Cooking and eating together are such powerful ways to bring communities and families together, and that’s what the Big Cookathon is all about.

“We’re so thrilled that James and his family took part.

“We’ve already helped three million people learn to cook through our cookery programme.

“Most of our club members use their new cooking skills at home, and more than half tell us they now eat more healthily – which shows that learning to cook really can make a big difference to how we eat.”