Congratulations to Olympic Fruit and Veg art competition winners

Well done to the winners in the Create a Fruit and Veg Masterpiece 2012.

Whilst all eyes are on the capital for this month's London

2012, six groups of primary school children were limbering up for a very

different kind of Olympics on Friday 29 June in the green fields of the 'Garden

of England' as they took part in the Olympic Live Final for 'Create A Fruit & Veg Masterpiece 2012'

at Broadview Gardens, Hadlow, in Kent.

The six finalists beat their way past close to 250 entries

from across Kent in the Produced in Kent inspired art competition (which is

sponsored by abm Catering, Hadlow College and RJ Kingsland & Son and

supported by the Kent 2012 Small Grants Fund).

The primary school aged children, lined up under starters

orders in front of TV's top food art photographer, Carl Warner (whose amazing

food landscapes have appeared on Blue Peter, The One Show and The Alan

Titchmarsh Show). The six finalists competed for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals

by recreating their entries in front of the judges, using only fruit and

vegetables that had been grown locally and in season in the 'Garden of

England'.

Julie Monkman, manager of Produced in Kent, an organisation

dedicated to championing food and drink producers in Kent, said: "There have

been many initiatives to try to engage young children with their environment

and eating healthy, from mother's 'eat your greens' to '5-A-Day'. The 'Create A

Fruit & Veg Competition' in Kent has shown that if you can make eating

healthily, locally and seasonally entertaining and engaging – it is possible to

interact and connect with hundreds of schools and dozens of children as young

as five. In the three years since introducing this competition we have seen a

trebling of entries across Kent – with teachers, parents and children keen to

explore and interact with fruit and vegetables that are grown locally and in

season." 

In the Individual

category, Carl Warner awarded a Gold medal to Adam Hood, aged 7, from Hever

Primary for his amazing Fruit & Veg

Cyclist, whilst 7 year old Joshua Beesley who is home schooled won Silver

for his Asparagus Spear Olympic Fencing

masterpiece and 5 year old Will Beverley, from Hever Primary School won Bronze

for his Veggie Canoeist.

In the Group category,

the food art photographer awarded a Gold medal to St Katherines (Class 6W),

Snodland for its Paralympics Wheelchair

Racing masterpiece, Silver to the All Saints C of E Primary School's

Allotment Club, Chatham, for its Best of

British Olympic Runners, and Bronze to Ashford Friars (Class 2T), for its Fruit & Veg Olympic Running Shoe.

As well as their medals and a delicious afternoon tea

provided by abm Catering at Broadview Tearooms, the children walked away with

an armful of fantastic prizes including framed food art pictures and books from

Carl Warner, signed book from double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes and some

bumper gardening goodies from Broadview Garden Centre to encourage children to

continue to learn how to 'grown their own' in the 'Garden of England'.

Check out our galleries for pictures.