NEWS RELEASES
Kids pack a picnic with a difference
3rd August 2004
FORGET soggy sandwiches, crisps and coke - kids in the Horsham District know how to pack a picnic with a healthy punch.
Entries are flooding in for the Horsham District Food & Drink Festival’s Schools’ Picnic Competition, sponsored by the South of England Agricultural Society, to find the most imaginative and nutritious ideas for eating al fresco.
Following last year’s successful Lunchbox Challenge, in which hundreds of children put their taste buds to the test by creating their own do it yourself school dinners, Horsham District Council invited primary and secondary schools to create a festival picnic from local produce which gave them all the nutrients children needed in one wholesome hamper.
Public health nutritionist and consultant to the Food & Drink Festival, Naomi Evans, said: “Eating habits had been shown to have a dramatic affect not only on children’s physical health, but also on their behaviour at home and in the classroom.
“Schools have a key impact on children’s health. If children understand what’s in their food now, hopefully they will make wise choices when they grow up. I long to see home economics back on every curriculum – forget designing pizza boxes, kids need to understand what goes in the boxes and how they are made.
“But until then, well done to every school which finds the time to support healthy eating initiatives such as this.”
Entries in the Horsham District Food & Drink Festival’s picnic competition will be on display at The Big Nibble launch event at Horsham’s Drill Hall in Denne Road on Saturday 11 September when the winners will be announced.
Lewis Hamblet, Executive Chef at South Lodge Hotel in Lower Beeding will join forces with Naomi to judge the entries. He will also be making a guest appearance at The Big Nibble chef’s demonstration.
Brought together by Horsham District Council to support producers and retailers, the annual Horsham District Food & Drink Festival highlights the unique quality of food and drink produced in and around the District.
For further details, call (01403) 215542 or click here.
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CONTACT: Richard Morris, Communications Manager
(01403) 215549