CHEF Tom Jackson cooked up a storm when he visited a North-East primary school yesterday.

Tom, who is chef at Durham City's Bistro 21 restaurant, was at St Margaret's Primary School, Neville's Cross, yesterday to persuade ten-year-old pupils that cooking is fun - and that spinach is delicious.

The 21-year-old was one of several chefs visiting schools for the Durham Local Food Celebration.

The youngest of four brothers, he went to school in Durham and studied catering at the city's New College.

Also whipping up enthusiasm among Durham Johnson school students was Italian chef Michele Positano, who invited the pupils to his kitchens in the Three Tuns Hotel to demonstrate how to turn local produce into simple but tasty meals.

At Newton Hall Infants School, Durham fishmonger and chef Ian Kennedy let students into some of his secrets of cooking seafood.

The food celebration was launched in support of British Food Fortnight.

This week's events will culminate with a food market in Durham City on Saturday, which will include cookery demonstrations, live music, healthy eating activities, workshops and food history exhibitions.