Restauranteur serves up healthy eating message

A Newcastle restaurant owner is helping schools get the healthy eating message across to children with interactive workshops.

Andy Hook, owner of Newcastle’s Blackfriars restaurant led a talk with children aged six and seven at South Gosforth First School in conjunction with the Chronicle’s ‘Adopt a School’ programme, and the EAT! Newcastle/Gateshead food festival.

Andy delivered a workshop to the children on June 9 along with Blackfriars head chef Troy Terrington.
The group were presented with different foods to explore, including sweet, sour and bitter selections designed to help children learn how taste buds work.

The festival is designed to help elevate the profile of the region as a producer and provider of quality food and drink and emphasise the importance of cutting down the ‘farm-to-fork’ journey by helping local restauranteurs establish connections with local food producers. EAT! organisers also hope to develop enthusiasm for the discovery and enjoyment of good food in young children.

Festival events run until June 27, and include cooking demonstrations, tasting markets, a foodie walking tour, a chilli and beer festival, a fair-trade city fete and a cupcake festival.

The festivities continue with a wide variety of events, ranging from foody-themed ‘bike in’ movies to EAT! at Sea, with a mini-market, cocktail lessons, beer tasting sessions, chocolate art, and a giant, ship-shaped cake, all aboard a DFDS Seaways ferry to Amsterdam.

Blackfriars Restaurant, Friars Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XN. For booking enquiries visit blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk.