A hunt has been launched to find the meal best-loved by children across the country.

The vote has been organised as part of the second Children’s Food Festival, at the Northmoor Trust, Little Wittenham, on Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27.

The most popular meal will be revealed at the festival — and top chef Sophie Grigson will demonstrate a healthy way to cook it.

Festival organiser Eka Morgan said: “It’s often said that curry is the nation’s favourite food, and we thought it would be about time to find out what children really love eating.

“If it turns out to be something unhealthy, we can put a positive slant on that and show how to make a delicious healthy version.”

Children have until Monday, June 22, to vote for their favourite.

Ms Morgan said: “It’s essentially a bit of fun, but I think it will be quite revealing because there is a healthy version of most things.

“Bangers and mash could be incredibly unhealthy if the sausages were really fatty and the mash had lots of butter in it.

“But it could also be made from really beautiful, lean organic fresh sausages and much lighter mashed potato.

“The festival is not about saying you can’t eat this and you must have that, it’s about really enjoying your food and taking pleasure in it.”

At the inaugural festival in 2007, 16,000 children and their parents came along — and more are expected this year.

Activities range from a chocolate tent, to kids’ kitchens where youngsters can try their hand at making dough and rolling sushi.

There will also be open fire cookery, bicycle-powered smoothie-making and a ‘smell tent’.

Ms Morgan, whose favourite food is watercress soup, added: “Everywhere you look, you are going to be diverted by something incredibly fun, you’ll turn around and there will be something amazing going on.

“My whole motivation for doing this is that I had an appalling diet as a child and I’m paying the price now.

“I like to think if I had gone to a festival like this when I was young I would have got it.”

The Northmoor Trust is looking for volunteers to help out at the weekend.

For more information on the food festival, how to volunteer and for children to vote for their favourite dish, go to childrensfoodfestival.co.uk