Cookathon winners

Young cooks from Oughtibridge Primary in Sheffield, who competed against more than 50,000 people across the country in the Let’s Get Cooking BIG Cookathon competition, have been named national winners. They collect a cash prize of £1000 to spend on their cooking club, whilst eight regional winners each won £250.

Oughtibridge Primary’s Let’s Get Cooking club clinched top place after more than 1500 people joined their Cookathon event at home and at school to cook Tasty Tomato Pasta.  Every child and adult in school on the day of the Cookathon cooked and ate their dish together, whilst friends, families and people in the local community supported this amazing culinary achievement by cooking the pasta dish at home on the same day.

Caroline Little, Oughtibridge Primary’s Let's Get Cooking Club Coordinator said, “What a fantastic day we had! We were assisted by lots of parents and school governors and the school kitchen staff worked tirelessly to support our efforts. The children ate all the food and have asked if they can prepare their own lunch every day! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their day and there is a real buzz in school about cooking.”

Let's Get Cooking regional Club Coordinator, Lisette Baker said: “Selecting winners was really tough as the excitement, creativity and enthusiasm of clubs meant the standard of entries was very impressive. This year’s competition saw more than 50,000 people at nearly 200 schools across the country all cooking on the same day – smashing last year’s total of 24,000 people. This competition has not only been great fun for everyone involved, it has also given tens of thousands of people the chance to practise and develop their cooking skills, which is what Let’s Get Cooking is all about. Well done Oughtibridge Primary!”

The regional Cookathon winners were:

• East of England – Robert Kett Junior School in Norfolk where more than 600 people cooked Tasty Tomato Pasta.
• East Midlands - Tibshelf Community School, Alfreton, who cooked apple and sultana crumble with more than 370 people.
• London – Barley Lane Primary in Redbridge who had more than 680 people cooking Tasty Tomato Pasta.
• North East – John F Kennedy Primary in Sunderland got more than 680 people to make an enormous fruit salad 
• North West - St Anne's RC Primary School in Tameside where more than 1000 people cooked Tasty Tomato Pasta.
• South West – Bournville Primary in North Somerset where more than 460 cooked food for a community picnic including sandwiches, fruit kebabs, pizza, dips and couscous.
• West Midlands - Roberts Primary School, Dudley, where more than 1000 people made One-Pot Vegetable Chilli.
• South East – Knowles Junior School in Milton Keynes, where more than 660 people cooked vegetable soup and fruit salad

Each regional winner receives a certificate and £250 to spend on its club.