A crash course in professional pancake flipping will provide a break from the usual school lesson plan when Holy Trinity school celebrates pancake day today.

Eight lucky students at the school, in Carrington Road, Richmond, will celebrate Shrove Tuesday by having a lesson in pancake flipping from television chef Paul Merrett.

Merrett, who stars in the BBC's Economy Gastronomy programme and runs West Temple Sheen's gastropub the Victoria, will also be on hand to talk to students about sustainabe fishing and teach them to make fish fingers.

He said "I was inspired to cook by my grandmother at a very early age so it's great to get the chance to pass on the pleasures of cooking and eating to local school children."

Organised by local charity School Food Matters, the event is part of a cooking ideas series which aims to promote cooking in schools and encourage children to have a go at preparing simple, nutritious meals.

Recipes from the day will be available to download from the Cooking Ideas page on the School Food Matters website after today's visit.

For more information visit schoolfoodmatters.com.