A NEW initiative to get Devon's young parents cooking is being launched in Okehampton complete with a celebrity chef!

The Women's Food and Farming Union (WFU) is joining forces with the WI and Townwomen's Guilds to show people how easy, cheap and enjoyable it can be to produce a meal from fresh local ingredients.

Okehampton Mayor's Christine Marsh is thrilled that the town has been chosen to host this special event.

'As a town we have been promoting local food for local people and trying to support the farmers,' she said. 'This event will show young people how meals can be more interesting, balanced and nutritious if you make them yourself.'

The launch on September 25 in the Charter Hall will be followed by smaller events around the county.

County Chairman of WFU Vivien England said: The intention is to show young parents, many of whom these days are inexperienced in kitchen skills, innovative ways of cooking fresh, seasonal, hopefully local but definitely British food.

'They can learn how nutritious, easily prepared and attractive their food can be without it having to be expensive,' she said.

Two other sectors of the community are also being targeted — students and the elderly, both of whom are on limited budgets.

Mrs England said cookery was not part of the school curriculum anymore so a lot of young people did not have the basic skills to make a home-cooked meal.

'We want to encourage them not to be always buying ready-made meals but to try a little bit of simple cooking instead.' she added.

The three groups, who call themselves 'Women Working Together in Devon' were originally going to hold the event in Exeter because it was the 'most obvious' place but after a problem with the venue someone suggestion Okehampton.

'I jumped on the idea,' said Mrs England, who lives at Germansweek. 'I though it would be a wonderful first for Okehampton.

'We had a dine and discover evening in the Okehampton area last summer and it seemed very fitting to follow on from that.'

The WFU chairman said it was particularly appropriate to hold the event in Okehampton because of the thriving farmers' markets and the Chamber of Trade promotions of local food for local people.

'We are planning on a big launch and a celebrity chef,' she said. 'Smaller events will be then held around the county wherever we consider deprivation calls loudest. We are very aware that it exists every bit as much in some rural areas as it does in inner cities.'

The WFU was formed 20 years ago by farmers' wives in Kent who were upset that their husbands were not being able to sell their apple crops because of French imports.

Since then promoting British food has been their main aim and the WFU felt this latest initiative should include the WI and Townswomen's Guilds because it was something relevant to all of them.