With just a year until the Olympic Games get under way in London, youngsters this week used the world's greatest sporting event as inspiration for a special Norfolk Food Festival cookery lesson.

Seventeen children took part in the Olympic-themed class on Wednesday at Cringleford Pavilion to mark the 12-month countdown to the London 2012 opening ceremony.

Run by Norwich-based children's cookery school Kiddy Cook, the lesson was the first in a series of workshops being held as part of this September's EDP Bidwells Norfolk Food Festival.

Using the colours of the 2012 logo and the Olympic rings as inspiration, the children were shown how to cook an Olympian Pizza using tomatoes, sweetcorn, olives and basil, and Sporty Smoothies, using blueberries, raspberries, bananas and yoghurt.

The youngsters also learned about the Olympic Games and put their sporting skills to the test by taking part in an egg and spoon race and games of fruit skittles.

Frances Webster, who runs Kiddy Cook, said: 'Children of all ages love to cook. It's an excellent way for them to learn and they get a great sense of achievement.

'We believe it is very important to teach children about nutrition and its role as part of an active lifestyle, so the fact that the Olympic Games will be held in London next year will hopefully inspire children to find out more about healthy eating.'

Kiddy Cook classes for four to 11-year-olds, and Cookie Tot classes for two to four-year-olds, are held regularly all across Norfolk, with special Kiddy Cook classes set to run throughout the Norfolk Food Festival in September.

For more details and to find your nearest class, visit www.kiddycook.co.uk/kiddycook-norwich.