The secret to finding seasonal fruit and vegetables was at the core of a class to give women confidence in the kitchen.

Entrepreneur Khushnood Ahmed organised the cooking theory lesson for single mums at Barking’s Rivergate Centre.

“It went really well,” said the mum-of-three, who was joined by Barking and Dagenham Council nutrition adviser Liz Lawrence on Monday.

“We learnt about seasonality and what schools learn about food on the curriculum.”

The borough health champion, who lives in Barking Riverside, said she was going to expand her next class to include men and women.

“A lot of women don’t sign up because they lack confidence,” explained Khushnood, who is in her 40s.

“These classes can be a gateway so people can teach their own children or go into the teaching profession.”

Khushnood is currently looking for a permanent base to teach classes after Easter. Email littlechef@icloud.com for more.