THERE'S a mouth-watering aroma in the air and plenty of happy faces in the kitchen at Pickles Coppice on the Millbrook estate, Southampton.

Mums and dads with little experience in the kitchen have just produced their first ever cauliflower cheese with ham - and they are delighted with the results of their culinary labours.

Most had a basic grasp of how to cook - but the white sauce for the favourite vegetable dish they created was nothing short of a revelation.

Mother-of-three Tanya Masters, 25, explained: "The opportunity to do this has helped us learn about cooking, make new friends and build our confidence.

"Before coming here I could put a chicken in the oven and boil some veg but I didn't know anything about sauces.

"I'm looking forward to making cauliflower cheese for my children Nicole, 4, Dylan, 3 and Stewart 16 months - and they can learn from me, too," she said.

The Budget Bites classes have been running since last November at the Sure Start HQ and they have proved a real success.

Family support worker Juliet Duffill and her colleague Louisa Reynard lead the courses and each week they tackle a different meal.

"The first week was breakfast and they made scrambled egg - they were used to making it in the microwave but had never done it the traditional way.

"They do the main course and puddings, as well as tackling healthy lunchboxes for their kids," she said.

Dad Paul Sawyer, 37, explained he got involved with the group through the successful Daddy Cool programme that also runs at Pickles Coppice.

"I've never done much cooking because my wife, Sarah, is the cook, but I have enjoyed having a go.

"I haven't had a chance to practise at home yet but I am looking forward to getting my children involved," he said.

Meanwhile Tony Piggott, 33, who is heavily involved with Daddy Cool, said he had already practised his scrambled egg at home.

"The next morning I said to my step-daughter Jessica, who's ten - let's have a go at making it and we did it together.

"I'm really enjoying the chance to experiment - my son Oliver, 4, has a rare condition that means he can't swallow properly so he needs foods with different textures and tastes to encourage him to eat.

"It's a really great idea to run these sort of courses and there is a creche here, too," he said.