ALL aboard! was the cry at Takeley primary school on Tuesday when the food for life bus arrived in the village. During the week 16 pupils boarded the bus at any one time for some fun cookery classes to encourage the pupils to enjoy food in a positive way.

ALL aboard! was the cry at Takeley primary school on Tuesday when the food for life bus arrived in the village.

During the week 16 pupils boarded the bus at any one time for some fun cookery classes to encourage the pupils to enjoy food in a positive way.

Teacher Kim Griffiths said: "We had the children making all sorts of meals, with an emphasis on both healthy eating and the enjoyment of actually creating food. At the end of the week when the bus leaves the school, all the children will be taking home the meals they have cooked and we hope inspire everybody to cook together."

The school invited the bus along as part of their drive into 'Focus on Food,' which includes changing the way children think about farming, cooking, eating what you grow and healthy school dinners.

Headteacher Charlie Chamberlin said: "My class was in the bus on the Tuesday and really enjoyed it, it was great to see them so enthusiastic about cooking and making things they really liked."

The food bus is run by the Foods Standard Agency and will be touring the country all year. It is a state of the art mobile kitchen that closes up to be transported on a lorry. The inside is colourful and full of information for youngsters who are embarking on the skills for the first time, skills which the teachers hope will stay with them forever.

Mrs Griffiths said: "We are trying to give them good habits and let them be creative with food, hopefully it will have a knock on effect and this generation can teach the next.