Mearns Primary pupils serve up a recipe book full of lockdown treats

With the Covid-19 pandemic putting paid to all the usual fundraising activities, PTA members had been looking for different ways they could raise money to support the school.

While stuck at home during lockdown, many youngsters learned new skills, including cooking and baking – and so the idea of putting together a book of their favourite recipes was born.

It’s now available to order, with deliveries beginning around December 12 to ensure it arrives in time for Christmas.

Sheila O’Donnell, PTA secretary, said: “Mearns Primary is a big school with around 850 children between the primary and nursery, and we have a very active PTA.

“We usually put on a range of events throughout the year, discos, school fete, Christmas parties, but we couldn’t do any of that this year so we had to come up with something different.”

And that’s where the recipe book came in.

“The cover picture and the recipes inside are mainly from the school kids who entered our competition,” said Sheila.

“The book focuses on Lockdown 2020 and features recipes with a story – something new kids learned to cook, a treat that kept them doing, biscuits they made with granny over zoom when they couldn’t see her etc.

“We feel our book encompasses the togetherness many families felt in lockdown and will be very popular, not just with school families but the wider East Renfrewshire community too.

“There are different categories in the book – breakfasts, main meals, desserts – and simple things they can do themselves, everything from fantastic curries to amazing treats.”

The winner of the competition to design the front cover was Orla Walker, from P7.

The book is available for purchase here and will be delivered next month. Orders will be delivered free throughout East Renfrewshire, as well as Newlands, Shawlands, East Kilbride and Fenwick.

It will be available to purchase in store from December 12 from Marianna’s Deli and The Market Place at the Avenue Shopping Centre.

The PTA is a charity and every penny raised by book sales will go back into the school to benefit the children.