Provost Sheena Richardson will formally launch Musselburgh Burgh Primary’s cookbook What’s for Tea? at 11am at the school’s Winter Fair this Saturday (5 December 2009). The cookbook has two main aims – to get people excited about cooking and to raise money so that every class at the Burgh can have its own raised bed in which to grow fruit and vegetables. This will really help the children with various strands of the Curriculum for Excellence, including health and wellbeing. Their fundraising target is £2000. The Burgh’s Parent Council came up with the idea of a fundraising cookbook as long ago as August 2008. But, if a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well, and the cookbook became a whole-school project. The Parent Council asked families for help and lots of parents and grandparents sent in family favourites. School staff were asked too and provided lots of interesting recipes. The children also researched how to make healthy versions of their favourite meals, tested them and wrote them up for the book. They ended up with nearly 200 recipes in the 96-page book, which the children have also illustrated. The Parent Council worked with Wendy Neill at East Lothian Council’s print unit, who they de3scribed as ‘brilliant’ and who helped them with all aspects of publication. The book retails for £7 a copy or three for £20 and can be ordered from the Musselburgh Burgh Primary (0131 665 3407) or Musselburgh Library (0131 665 2183). Or pop along to the Burgh’s Winter Fair this Saturday, where copies will be on sale. One hundred and forty-four copies are already sold out of the print run of 300, so be quick! In order to maximise their fundraising, enterprising pupils in Primary 6 have written to various well-known chefs, celebrities and other public figures, asking them to sign copies of What’s for Tea?, which will then be auctioned. They have even written to the Queen, who wrote back to wish the pupils every success with their project. Chef Martin Wishart (of Restaurant Martin Wishart, Wishart’s Cookery School and Cameron House Hotel fame) has already been in touch to say that he will sign copies and has sent the school a cheque for £200. Councillor Roger Knox, visiting the school on Monday 30 November 2009, said: ‘Imagine their surprise and delight when on St Andrews Day they received a reply from the Queen, expressing her appreciation for their efforts and wishing them well in their project. ‘Perhaps even more significant in their efforts to raise funds for the project was a cheque from the Martin Wishart Cookery School in Leith for £200. ‘This news added to the excitement of their own Homecoming celebrations, which on the same day saw the raising of the Saltire on the school flagpole and every class taking part in learning at least one Scottish country dance. With similar activities carrying on through the week, all pupils and staff alike will keep the memories of this homecoming week for years to come.’ Parent Council member Fleur Hoole added: ‘The children have been so excited about this project and really wanted to get everyone cooking. I hope that Primary 6’s efforts will pay off and that lots of celebrities and chefs will take up their ideas of signing copies for auction.’