Chef Si serves up some healthy recipes at a free family fun day
Little chefs in the making were given a taster of kitchen life by Hairy Biker Si King, as the TV chef cooked up a storm for a free family fun day.
The summer holidays got off to a flying start in Sunderland with the free food and family fun day at Minster Park, which featured cooking demos throughout the day, as well as games and activities.
One half of the culinary duo was among the food demonstrators yesterday, as he prepared dishes from his book, The Hairy Dieters’ Simple Healthy Food: 80 Tasty Recipes to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy.
County Durham-born Si, who went to school in Washington, said it was great to be back on Wearside.
"It’s lovely to be here, I’m having a lovely time,” he said. “Minster Park is a lovely space to be, it’s green and it’s right in the city centre.”
Speaking about the dishes he prepared and the children in the audience who asked questions, he said: "Food doesn’t need to be complicated and generally the less complicated it is, the healthier it is.
"And also we’re all watching the pennies and pounds, so it’s simple ingredients that are really nutritious.
"It’s really important to get children involved in food because the legacy of our cuisine is in children and it’s important we pass that knowledge and information down.”
Between the sunshine and showers, other demonstrations were provided by Nedhi Chera, of The Funky Indian Wali, who showcased healthy Indian dishes, while fitness guru Joe Sexton, who runs Fat Loss Feast, created meals which can easily be recreated at home.
The event was supported by Ocado, the online supermarket, which provided ingredients for the demos, as well as goodie bags for the crowds.
It is one in a number of events and activities organised by Sunderland BID which are taking place in the city centre over the school summer holidays.
At the weekend, the roller rink in Keel Square got its skates on and will be running daily from 11am to 8pm until September 4. Other activities include the return of the beach attraction to The Bridges and a virtual dino trail in which people can follow a trail to find dinosaurs and eggs by downloading the Sunderland Experience app.