Children at a Dales school have been getting green-fingered this summer in their quest to help grow food for a local hotel.
Pupils from Rowsley Primary School have joined forces with the Peak District hotel East Lodge to create The Great Rowsley Menu.
The hotel invited the school to visit its garden, where it provided the children, aged from seven to nine, with their own vegetable patch so they could tend to fruit and vegetables to serve in the restaurant.
The project is helping them to understand where their food comes from and has given them the chance to see how a local tourism and food business works.
They have also had lessons on where in the world certain foods come from and have even been helping to look after the hotel's chickens, which provide free-range eggs.
As well as this, they are understanding the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and diet while learning about local food sources and the importance of supporting local food producers.
Once the food is ready to be made into healthy and delicious meals the hotel's chef Simon Bradley will guide them as they design and cook their menu.
They will then test their creations on their parents before it becomes available at the hotel.
Teacher Gillian Mckay said: "The children could choose which seeds they wanted and planted fruits and vegetables.
"Once the plants grow we'll work with the chef using fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices to create a menu for the hotel and the children will make a meal for their parents.
"The children love the project – they've been shown around the garden there and were given eggs to take home and cook."
She added: "We have been there a couple of times and are due to go back next week."
Iain Hardman, director at East Lodge said: "We all have a part to play in teaching our children about the importance of eating well so everyone at East Lodge is excited about helping the children with their Great Rowsley Menu".
"Children are always much more willing to try fruit and vegetables if they have grown, picked and prepared it themselves, and we are looking forward to seeing and sampling the results of their efforts later in the year.
He added: "If this project also inspires the children to see how fantastic our industry can be and the wonderful career opportunities it offers, then we will have done our job."
From Bakewell Peak Times
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