In pictures: Celebrity chef Alain Roux puts on cooking masterclass for school pupils

A celebrity chef treated youngsters at a school in Maidenhead to some tasty food during a visit last week.

Michelin starred chef and chef patron of The Waterside Inn Alain Roux was joined by his head chef Fabrice Uhryn to lead a cookery masterclass for year five pupils at Braywick Court School on Thursday, June 27.

Following an initial visit to the school on Hibbert Road and a planning meeting with staff, chef Roux and chef Uhryn designed a two-hour bespoke workshop, providing all the ingredients and equipment.

On the Thursday morning, pupils enjoyed a tasting session where they were encouraged to explore a range of fresh food, textures and flavours.

They learnt how flavours complement each other and explored their personal preferences.

During the second part of the workshop, pupils gained hands-on experience of preparing ingredients.

Year five were provided with an array of ingredients by chef Roux and chef Uhryn, including cherry tomatoes, anchovies, olives and quail eggs.

The youngsters were then taught how to make a nicoise salad which they were also able to take home and enjoy.

The opportunity for Mr Roux to visit arose after he contacted the school’s headteacher Michelle Robertson as he was searching for a school in the area to work with as part of the ‘Adopt a School’ programme by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.

The programme aims to connect professional chefs with schools in their community to help youngsters develop healthy eating habits.

The workshops are designed to inspire enthusiasm and interest in food and teach youngsters about cooking and sustainability.

Headteacher Michelle Robertson, said, “This was a wonderfully enriching experience for our pupils.

“The enjoyment and curiosity on the faces of the children was a delight to see.

“Our pupils discovered a wealth of knowledge about healthy ingredients, flavour combinations and food preparation.

“We feel very fortunate to have been approached to take part in this highly successful initiative.

"Many of our pupils live close to The Waterside Inn and enjoyed meeting Alain and Fabrice.”