EAT your way to health is the message from the Daily Echo-backed Christchurch Food and Wine Festival which was previewed at the Grange School in Somerford.

Food education is high on the organisers' menu at this year's festival, the eighth to take place in the town.

The Christchurch Food Festival Education Foundation aims to build on the links already made with schools in the area by including them in competitions and encouraging cooking and nutrition classes.

The campaign will not just focus on children but other sections of the community.

"We've got young mums to target. There's quite an issue of nutrition in elderly people and we can target them too," said Julie Ratcliffe.

Festival president Mary Reader and Ian Hewitt, chef at the soon-to-be-opened Cliffhanger Café at Highcliffe, got off on the right foot by staging a cookery demonstration and nutrition talk to year 10 pupils in the Grange's food technology room.

While Mary Reader talked to the class of 20 about the benefits of eating fresh grown food, eating less fat, flavouring with herbs and growing your own, Ian Hewitt demonstration how easy good cooking can be.

He rustled up Thai fish cakes using pollack, a vegetarian tagliatelli dish, Chinese duck with a mango and lime salsa and cous cous which everyone agreed was mighty tasty.

Three secondary schools in the area are taking part in a design a dish competition which will finish with a demonstration in Saxon Square on Friday May 11. The event will be one of the highlights of the first day of the festival week.

First major event and the big crowd-puller will be the International Food Market in the High Street on Saturday and Sunday. Selling will start at 10am and with more than 100 stalls there will be something tasty for everyone to see, try and buy.

Celebrity chef Lesley Waters will arrive in a 1914 Albion brewer's dray in Ringwood Brewery livery borrowed from the National Motor Museum to carry out the opening ceremony at the Mayor's Parlour at 11am.

There is a massive range of culinary experiences to enjoy throughout the borough during the following week.

Mary Reader said: "The festival just goes from strength to strength every year and we have some wonderful events planned this year.

"The fact that we can attract chefs of the calibre of Jean-Christophe Novelli, Paul Rankin, Mitch Tonks and Lesley Waters means that it is recognised nationally as an important event."