LYME REGIS: Children from St Michael’s Pre-School enjoyed a cooking masterclass to round off their celebration of harvest week.

Pupils from the pre-school recently celebrated their harvest week by running their own farm shop all week, selling and exploring vegetables and using money.

The children were also lucky enough to have a special visitor on the Friday of their harvest week, who brought the week together with a cooking masterclass.

Keian Gillett from the Galley Café in Lyme Regis came in to make pizzas with the pre-school children.

The Galley Café opened back in June in Broad Street at the former premises of the Lyme Deli and Café.

Keian has worked as a chef since he was 15 in establishments all over the world, including managing a pizza restaurant in Australia, on a yacht from Australia to New Zealand and at the Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall.

Joint supervisor at St Michael’s pre-school, Jess Webber, said: “The children all dressed up as chefs and enjoyed exploring the different foods, and making a mess with the flour and dough.

“There were a variety of many different toppings they could choose from, and all enjoyed sitting down after they were cooked to try all the different pizzas.

“We would all like to give special thanks to Keian and the Galley Café for supporting us through the topic and helping the children become fantastic chefs.”

A harvest festival is an annual celebration and across Britain thanks have been given for successful harvests since pagan times.

A Harvest festival or week is traditionally held on the Sunday near or of the Harvest Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox, about September 23.

Celebrations usually include singing hymns, praying, and decorating churches with baskets of fruit and food in the festival known as Harvest Festival, Harvest Home or Harvest Thanksgiving.

Jess added: “St Michael’s pre-school are including some fantastic experiences for the children, and are growing from strength to strength.

“We have two qualified early years’ teachers who pride themselves in exploring the environment through sensory experiences, music and singing, and using sign language to promote communication. “We are a fantastic team, with Kathy as our deputy, and our new apprentice Livi.”

For more information or to enquire about places at the pre-school, call St Michael’s on 01297 442481.