THE Great British Bake Off contestant Sandy Docherty is backing a national campaign urging families to eat more meals together.

Sandy, who runs a cooking club at Titus Salt School in Baildon, is supporting the Children’s Food Trust’s challenge to families, friends, schools and workplaces to make time to sit down and eat together as part of its Big Cookathon from April 22 to 25.

The annual event, now in its eighth year, aims to get families cooking nutritious, easy recipes from scratch instead of opting for unhealthy and expensive ready meals or takeaways.

This year’s campaign, sponsored by The Tesco Eat Happy Project, challenges families to try making a Big Cookathon Cottage Pie.

Sandy said: "There’s nothing more fantastic than tucking into a dish you’ve all made together, and it’s only by showing our kids how much fun cooking can be that we’ll pass on these skills and a love of good food to the next generation."

Sandy held her Cookathon with a group of sixth form students at Titus Salt School.

Richard Foster, deputy head teacher at Titus Salt School said: "I’m delighted that our school is a part of the Big Cookathon; it is important for young people to learn the basics of cooking and are educated about making the right health choices. I know that our students are very much looking forward to the event."

Children’s Food Trust CEO Linda Cregan said: "This year’s recipe takes its inspiration from a time when meals were eaten by families around a table at home, without the distraction of mobile phones and computer games."