A CHEF cooked up a storm at a primary school - teaching pupils how to make healthy pizzas and flapjacks.

Philippa James visited Roe Lee Primary School, Blackburn, today for a healthy foods workshop.

Philippa, who runs the Mawdesley-based Philippa Fine Foods and has also opened a cookery school, has made the final five of the UKTV Local Hero Award 2007 which are a tribute to Britain's independent shops, farm stalls, artisan producers and small businesses.

And she brought some of her expertise to the school, teaching children how to make healthier flapjacks using apples without their skin peeled off.

She was showing an excited year five class how to make nutritious pizzas and pasta salads using fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, tuna, peppers and cheese.

Phillipa said: "Teaching children to eat healthily at a young age is important because it is laying the building blocks for their bone tissue and teeth.

"There's a distinct lack of roughage in the diet today and children are not getting the nutrients that they need.

Humaira Patel, nine, who would like to be a chef when she's older said: "I'd like to be like Gordon Ramsay but I wouldn't swear so much."

Deborah Webster, PE teacher and healthy schools coordinator, said the school was trying hard to get parents involved with different activities to promote healthy living.

Phillipa has also been sharing her food knowledge with pupils at St Silas School.

The final of UKTV Local Hero Award 2007 takes places later this month and the winner takes a £40,000 prize to invest in their business.