A fantastic food festival has been a huge sucesss for a ‘tiny school’ in North Ayrshire.

Following a £5000 grant awarded by Education Scotland, Cumbrae Primary pupils have been hard at work preparing for this event since August, learning about various aspects of the hospitality industry ranging from the eat well plate to skills for employment.

The Primary 6/7’s were given a £5 voucher each/per group to spend in a local shop to create a meal for their family, and the top joint winners and the presentation winners were all invited to cook their meals with their whole class in the school kitchen.

Each class displayed their work on Friday 5 December for the festival, when pupils set up a cafe serving homemade shortbread, soup, spiced apple juice and muffins.

Head teacher Fiona Molloy said: “It came together because of the funding from Education Scotland for the food for thought project - but it was our school catering supervisor Pamela Jamieson who spotted that the grant was available and suggested could we put the whole bid together. We talked about it and put our bid through, and only one other school in North Ayrshire got a grant, and for a tiny wee school like Cumbrae to have received that amount was terrific, and allowed us to go for the enormity and depth required for a food festival. Part of the grant was that you had to have local businesses involved, and we have direct links through staff in some of the businesses who are parents of pupils at the school.

“Island businesses were more than willing to allow the children to go down to the Croco-deli, the Ritz, and the Garrison Cafe, so the children could experience first hand the environment, atmosphere and skills required to set the business up. It has been a terrific experience all round for the children.” And parents were equally pleased. Julie Joanne Bevan said: “I’m thrilled, as all the Bevans are, that primary age children are being taught to cook. The sooner, the better! Too many teenagers are going out into the big, wide world unable to cook a square meal.” Angela Doig commented: “Brilliant event...well done Cumbrae Primary!”