CHILDREN have been getting summer holiday cooking lessons.

The Children’s Food Trust ran free courses at Tesco Extra, in Dragonville, Durham City, today (Wednesday, July 30) and will run more tomorrow.

Farm to Fork sessions are being held at 50 Tesco stores across the country during August and it is expected about 4,500 children aged five to 13 will take part.

Organisers hope the courses will help educate children about food.

Tesco UK managing director Chris Bush said: “School’s now finished for the summer and I know mums and dads around the UK will appreciate having something fun and free to keep kids entertained during the holidays.

“We hope these courses will make a real difference in helping the next generation lead healthier lives.”

New research suggests almost three-quarters of parents worry children are growing up without basic cooking skills and 75 per cent of children have never boiled an egg.

The classes are part of the Eat Happy Project, aimed at helping children live healthier lives.

Tesco will become the first major retailer to remove sweets and chocolates from its checkouts across all stores by January.

Linda Cregan, chief executive of the Children’s Food Trust, said: "An important part of the Eat Happy Project is learning how and what to cook for a healthy balanced diet, a crucial life skill.

"Helping children grow confidence in the kitchen and learn more about healthy eating is a something we’ve been doing for seven years through our national network of 5,000 school and community based cooking clubs."