Children from Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School jumped on board the purpose-built kitchen and classroom, where qualified food teachers gave them a taste of high-quality cooking.

The Focus on Food/Food for Life Partnership Cooking Bus is part of a £16.9 million BIG Lottery-funded programme which aims to transform food culture in schools and communities across England supporting community-led initiatives.

The school will build on the visit to develop its cooking education and make progress towards a Food for Life Partnership Gold Mark. Food for Life Gold schools will represent the leading edge of good food culture among schools in England.

They looked at key aspects of food education such as nutrition, food safety, hygiene and preparation skills.

Anita Cormac, executive director of the Focus on Food campaign, said: "If we want people to eat well and have more choice in what they eat they have to be taught to cook well first.

"Most young people leave school without basic cooking skills. Their heads are full of health messages, but they have no means of taking real practical control of their food lives."