HEALTH conscious Chef Peter Vaughan is helping pupils get the sweet taste of success by creating their own bread without adding sugar.

Mr Vaughan, who runs a restaurant and catering business in Devizes, is showing pupils at St Margaret’s Preparatory School, Calne, how quick and easy it is to make their own loaves.

Health experts have warned about the dangers of too much sugar in children’s diets and Wiltshire Council has made cutting down on sugar a target of its anti-obesity campaign launched last year.

Mr Vaughan said: “Sugar is a big problem, especially refined sugar that is added to help make processed bread taste better. The fact that we would not normally associate bread as a product that contains added refined sugar makes it all the more worrying. It is easy to miss, looking at labels and ingredients.”

During his lessons with Year 5 pupils, he teaches children how much healthier bread can be made using wholesome grains, many of which are grown organically in Wiltshire. He said: “Teaching the science and craft of bread making to the children at St Margaret's school is an extremely important life skill for them to learn. Through the sessions we produce incredibly delicious and highly nutritional bread without any need for the use of additives and especially added sugar.

"Essentially, through the exciting bakery sessions they are learning to have a much better understanding of where you are likely to find hidden sugars.”