CELEBRITY chef James Martin cooked up an award at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital on Monday.

The Ready Steady Cook chef was at the hospital in Winchester to present it with a Heartbeat Award designed to promote healthy eating.

The hospital's St Catherine's restaurant won the national award after fulfilling a strict criteria that ensures at least one third of the menu has healthy options each day.

To win the accolade the restaurant also has to have a smoke-free dining area and have at least 50 per cent of catering staff trained in basic food hygiene.

To mark the presentation of the Heartbeat Award, the restaurant, which is open to the public, held a healthy eating quiz with baskets of fruit and vegetables for the winners.

Catering manager for Winchester and Eastleigh NHS Healthcare Trust Julian Cheeseright, said: "A lot of detailed work has been put in by a number of staff to meet the criteria for the award and I am delighted that their efforts have been recognised."

The Heartbeat Award, which was introduced in 1990, aims to support the UK strategy to reduce heart disease.

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