Food festival fever reached Norfolk's youngsters yesterday when a special event just for them took place in Norwich.

The Norfolk Kids Food Festival, part of the EDP Bidwells Norfolk Food Festival, saw children getting stuck into some cooking and learning all about their tastebuds.

The event took place in The Mall in Norwich and aimed to bring the county's food and drink celebrations to a younger audience.

Hayley Mace, one of the organisers of the Kids Food Festival, said: 'There are a lot of people who go to Norfolk Food Festival events but it is often the same people going to them all – they will go to the farmers' markets and the Moveable Feast every year and have a great time, but they are not the kind of events you would necessarily go to with your children. There are still a lot of people who don't know about the festival.

'The idea behind this is to reach people who wouldn't usually get involved.'

Among the activities for youngsters was a chance to draw pictures using fruit-shaped stencils and make a cous-cous salad with Frances Webster from Kiddy Cook.

Mrs Webster, who runs cookery workshops for two to 11-year-olds to encourage them to try different foods, said: 'They are chopping up peppers, cucumbers, celery, spring onions and mint, and squeezing some lemon juice.

'It's all about trying to get little people interested and involved.'

Two-year-old Deacon Haze was enjoying getting his hands messy making the cous-cous salad. His mum Lauren Haze said she now planned to take him along to one of the Kiddy Cook classes.

'He's getting better as he gets older, but he's quite a fussy eater,' she said.

Children from Kinsale Junior School in Hellesdon used the day to promote their celebrity cook book featuring a host of healthy child-focused recipes.

Bethany Blade, 10, said: 'Some Norfolk celebrities, like Paul Lambert from Norwich City and Tim Kinnaird from Masterchef, sent in recipes for the book. We're selling them and the money we make goes to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.'

The Kinsale schoolchildren, who were accompanied by headteacher Carolyn Baxter, were doing a roaring trade with shoppers in The Mall yesterday, selling more than 20 books.

To find out more about the EDP Bidwells Norfolk Food Festival, go to www.norfolkfoodfestival.co.uk