Pupils from Surbiton High School have launched a venture which aims to make students put down the take-away menu and pick up the cookware.

The Surrey Comet reported that a group of pupils taking part in the Young Enterprise scheme has started a company called Alight, which sells easy-cook recipes in handy folders.

Co-manager Charlie Hyde told the newspaper that the aim was to make cooking less daunting by making it more accessible, with instructions such as "a sprinkle" or a "bit of this" rather than technical measurements.

She explained: "The reason students don't cook is because they feel they don't have the time or the money. We want to dispel this myth and it's something I'll be taking to uni."

As well as introducing the student range of recipes, Alight hopes to expand into products aimed at young children, to make them familiar with cookware as they grow up.

Last week, the Advisory Panel of Food and Nutrition in Early Years said that organisations that provide care for those under the age of five need to be given greater guidance on providing healthy eating options.