PUPILS on the Classroom Chefs project have been celebrated at a prize giving organised by Peeblesshire Foodbank.

The Classroom Chefs project from Peeblesshire Foodbank saw 392 pupils from eight primary schools take part to learn how to use a slow cooker to make tasty and cost-effective meals at home.

During the sessions the youngsters were given the chance to cook a variety of dishes including casseroles, mac and cheese, and even sweet treats like fudge.

Mrs Woollard, a teacher from Broughton Primary School, said: "The pupils were really engaged in the project, they were super excited and couldn’t wait to begin!

"We are going to carry on cooking in school – we are looking at producing a pupil recipe book and involving families in some cooking sessions."

To mark the end of the project Peeblesshire Foodbank held a prize giving where three lucky winners were drawn from a hat.

The first prize of a new slow cooker and a £50 Tesco voucher went to Priorsford Primary School pupil Evelyn Whitehead.

On the project, Evelyn said: "I learnt lots of new skills like cutting techniques and really enjoyed working with other people."

Second and third place prize winners received a £50 Tesco voucher each for their families.

A Peeblesshire Foodbank spokesperson said: "This project built on the success of last year’s slow cooker project with families

"Through a fun activity, we helped children learn life skills and try new, tasty food cooked from scratch. A slow cooker uses much less energy than a conventional oven so great for family budgets when energy bills are high

"Any family can face a crisis and we raise awareness of the help available from Peeblesshire foodbank through schools – directly with families whose children took part and through whole school newsletters."

The project was fully funded by Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and Baillie Gifford to ensure that the cost of the slow cookers, equipment and ingredients was covered.

Peeblesshire Foodbank is available to any family in need of support.

Peeblesshire Foodbank can be reached at info@peeblesshire.foodbank.org.uk or by calling 01721 588654.