JUNIOR Jamie Olivers are being urged to get their aprons on and knives out to join a children's cookery class with a grown-up twist.

Forget gingerbread men and fairy cakes, youngsters at Cooking Academy, at Stockton's Arc centre, are more likely to be dishing up gourmet suppers for their parents.

Thai salmon curry, Peking duck pancakes, and carrot and coriander soup are a few of the dishes on the menu at the Cooking Academy, in the centre's kitchen on Saturday afternoons.

Chef Matthew Brown is the enthusiast behind the courses. He said: "This is real food for children -they handle foods they have never seen or touched before and learn real chef's skills using real tools of the trade.

"Jamie Oliver has raised the bar when it comes to getting children interested in cooking and we are trying to make sure there is a new generation of Jamies in the Tees Valley."

Children on the course, aged from eight, are supervised by Mr Brown and his team, and at the end of the sessions, sit down together to enjoy the food.

Ned Boughey, nine, a pupil at Egglescliffe Primary School, is one of those taking part.

He said: "I love it because you get to make nice food, use real knives and work in a real kitchen. The best thing is that at the end of the class, we get to eat what we've made and it is always lovely."

Courses, costing £11 a session, are run on Saturdays, from 3pm to 6pm. To join, call (01642) 525199.