Popular TV star and restaurateur Gary Rhodes visited Overleigh St Mary's Primary School, Handbridge, as part of an initiative to encourage healthy eating.

The Junior Chefs' Academy, sponsored by What's Cooking and chester.com, has visited more than 80 schools in Wirral during the past two years and now is focusing on 50 schools in Chester.

The workshops allow a hands on approach for the children to encourage them to learn how to cook up healthy food.

Children aged between four and 11 also took part in a competition to design the most eye-catching apron for Gary.

Successful finalists will be invited to a grand prize giving in December this year where they will get chance to meet the TV chef and win some prizes for themselves and their school.

Gary said: "It is so important that we educate children about the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet and give them the practical skills to achieve it. Through Junior Chefs' Academy this can be achieved while having fun."

Joseph Hogan, one of the pupils being taught by Gary, said: "I want to be a chef one day. It's been an absolutely fantastic day. I love cooking and my favourite food is calamares (battered squid)"

Headteacher Elaine Devine said: "It was a very exciting day and the children were very enthusiastic. The Junior Chefs' Academy brought the message of healthy eating in a fun and exciting way."