Food News, with Christine Rutter

IT is little wonder that with the great food boom of recent years has come general confusion about exactly what to serve up youngsters in restaurants.

That is why a giant hotel group enlisted the help of an East Lancashire youngster to create a mouth-watering recipe for its young diners in its 3,000 establishments, which serve half a million families annually.

Michael Murray, who suffers from asperger syndrome, beat off hundreds of hopefuls to become one of eight finalists in a national cooking challenge run by hotel group Novotel to find new dishes for their children's menus.

The 11-year-old and his family, from Dunsop Bridge, were invited to the Novotel Waterloo Hotel in London for a cook-off, with the head chef making up the dishes of all eight finalists -- including fish soup and cheese souffle.

Even though Michael was pipped at the post, he was asked to be part of a panel of top junior foodies to discuss the future of children's food.

"The recipes submitted by the children were a real eye-opener," said Blue Peter presenter Katy Hill.

"Adults often tend to dismiss children's views and think that fast food is all they want.

"We should listen to what they have to say and help them experiment with new dishes and food."

Katy was one of an expert panel of judges who tested Michael's suggestion of spaghetti bolognese for taste, imagination and visual appeal.

"We were particularly impressed with Michael's spaghetti bolognese and we hope to have the dish on our menu very soon," said Michael Flaxman, managing director of Novotel Hotels UK. "When creating a children's menu and facilities in our hotels we think it is very important to consult those who know best -- children."

The young chef believes fast food is dull and was delighted to add some input to the debate on junior portions.

"Burger and chips is boring and actually doesn't taste very nice either," said Michael.

"We want to be taken seriously when it comes to food and not just fobbed off with a dish that's easy and cheap to make."

Michael's parents Russell and Poospavadee are delighted with the success of their son, who attends a boarding school in Hampshire.

Russell said: "Michael has a lack of life skills and can't interpret social situations.

"We are so proud that he has overcome the shortfalls of his diagnosis and has not let it get on top of him. He is a very determined person and is interested in so many things.

"He takes a great interest in cooking and prepares meals at home, as well as storing recipes on his computer." Michael was one of the members of the Novotel Dolfi Children's Board Meeting which was set up to advise Novotel about children's attitude to food. The board revealed:

Eating with the family, rather than in front of the television or on the go, was favoured by 90 per cent of the children interviewed but daily work and school pressures meant that not all managed to eat together. Around 65 per cent eat as a family together, while half get together occasionally or at weekends.

Over half of children preferred packed lunches to school meals because they allowed them to decide on the daily menu for themselves.

Children would most like to cook a special meal for family and friends but also high on the list were the Spice Girls and England footballers David Beckham and Michael Owen.

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