Stars On Menu In School's Cookbook

A tiny school's charity cookbook has turned into a who's who of British cookery after recipes were donated by Delia Smith, Michel Roux Jr and Marco Pierre White.

Mary Berry volunteered an apple cake and Antony Worrall Thompson some extra special muffins at the request of Lismore Primary in the Inner Hebrides.

The school's 12 pupils wanted to raise cash so they could take part in an outdoor activity week and set about writing to their favourite chefs and bakers for help.

The result is a Michelin-star affair, with recipes by White, Roux and Martin Wishart.

TV's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jo Pratt also contributed recipes while Tom Kerridge and Tom Kitchin donated signed copies of their own books to help pupils' fundraising efforts.

Catherine Davies, headteacher of Lismore Primary School in Argyll and Bute, said: This has been a fantastic learning opportunity for the children to develop many skills for life and work - including graphic design, letter-writing and computer research.

This is just one of the ways that our 12 pupils engage with the wider world.

The children are delighted with the many personal responses from the famous chefs and are really looking forward to launching their cookbook.''

The Lismore School Cook Book will be launched at the school's Fair Trade cafe on March 6.

Local councillor Aileen Morton said: In all of Argyll and Bute's schools we are ambitious for our young people right from the start.

They are encouraged to be enterprising, to use their initiative and their imagination, and to aim high.

It is clear that the pupils at Lismore have really taken that to heart by reaching for the stars to produce their wonderful cookbook.

The children's initiative has clearly inspired the celebrity chefs who have responded so enthusiastically to this project.

It's a winning combination and I am very much looking forward to trying out some of the recipes myself.''