Free kids cookery workshops with Masterchef contestant to take place at Stack Seaburn over school holidays in Sunderland

Matei, who owns Posh Street Food at Stack, as well as a successful pop up and private dining business, will host the workshops to show children that healthy cooking needn’t be boring.

The chef was inspired to launch the workshops and cookery book, Big Chef, Mini Chef, after losing 11 stone in 2019 and wanting to ensure that children learned from an early age how to cook nutritious, healthy yet tasty meals themselves.

The book, Big Chef Mini Chef – Cooking for Kids, features Matei’s son Armin and is about a young boy living with cystic fibrosis and cooking healthy meals.

The workshops, which will take place on Monday, July 25, August 8, 15 and 25 and September 5 will be held at the Posh Street Food restaurant at the front of Stack from 10am to 11am and bookings can be made via the Post Street Food Facebook page.

There will be one adult required to stay with the children at all times and a maximum of 10 kids from ages six and upwards per class is allowed.

Matei, who made the quarter finals of Masterchef the Professionals, said: “We’re incredibly proud to announce our latest workshops for children and, based on the interest so far, we plan to run a lot more of them in the future.

"With the economy as it is at the moment, it’s more important than ever to cook from scratch, and, as the workshops are free to any child taking part, it means that parents don’t need to stress about the costs.”

The workshops promise kids a fun, yet educational approach and the best thing is, they get to eat what they produce.

Matei added: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming the children this summer, in what promises to be action packed and fun filled for all concerned.

"If kids learn to grow and cook things, then they will be more likely to eat them. Cooking is a life skill and healthy eating matters. We know how popular these workshops will be, so advice people to book early via our Facebook page to avoid disappointment.”