Sixteen primary school children from across the county proved they were the best of the bunch by collecting prizes at the Perfect Packed Lunch Awards.

Hundreds of entries were received for the annual creative writing and artwork contest staged by the KM Charity Team.

Entrants were required to draw or paint the perfect lunchbox meal for an imaginary character or famous face, and write about what made their creation so special.

The finalists were invited to an award ceremony at the Turner Contemporary, Margate where they were presented with certificates and goody bags which included family tickets for Silver Blades Ice Rink.

The youngsters will also have the once in a lifetime opportunity to see their masterpieces on display at the Turner Contemporary.

Four competition entries received the additional accolade of being best in the district. The winners were Lacey Noble, 11, from Newlands Primary School, Thanet; Holly Jenkins, 11, from Platts Heath Primary School, Maidstone; Alexandra Munteanu, 9, from East Wickham Primary Academy, Bexley; and Alex Lycett, 8, from Sheldwich Primary School, Faversham.

Talented Alex went on to be named overall Perfect Packed Lunch Awards champion after his Roald Dahl-inspired lunchbox wowed the judging panel.

The event was supported by key partners Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Golding Vision (Part of Golding Homes), J.C. Rook and Sons, Suzanne Howe Communications, Leafi, and Turner Contemporary.

Alison Nightingale, of Three R’s, said: “We are really proud to back this event. It’s been a wonderful day and a tremendous achievement for the young artists who have taken part in this creative challenge. We’ve seen some really inspiring pieces, and we are really pleased for young Alex and his fellow finalists.”

Molly Molloy, of the Turner Contemporary furthered the praise. “The Perfect Packed Lunch Awards provide the perfect crossover between literacy and creative art; showing the potential which can be achieved when using your imagination. We received so many fantastic entries this year, so whittling it down to just sixteen was a serious challenge,” she said.

Events Manager Lisa Craig at the KM Charity Team which organised the awards, said: “As an educational charity, promoting children to engage their literacy skills and artistic flair is of the utmost importance. We are extremely passionate about the awards, and the number and quality of this year’s entries was amazing. Congratulations to Alex and our finalists who have represented the scheme perfectly, and I’d like to thank our key partners for helping to make the event such a success.”

The finalists artwork will be on display at the Turner Contemporary for two weeks. Please call the gallery on 01843 233000 for confirmation of show times.