Cherie Blair at Potters Fields Park for Taste of Asia festival

The leading lawyer was guest of television chef Ross Burden and Anjum Anand of BBC Two's Indian Food Made Easy who were demonstrating how to cook healthy food quickly at home.

"When we were in Number Ten we used to rely a lot on takeaways," admitted Cherie who said that she now cooked some Indian dishes at home.

Although she was busy helping to cook a dry pomegranate chicken dish, Cherie said: "The best vegetarian cooking in the world is Indian".

Anjum Anand added: "You can be as healthy as a non vegetarian on a vegetarian diet."

The main reason for Cherie Blair's visit was to meet volunteers on the stand of the charity CINI UK. She is a patron of The Child In Need Institute (CINI) which helps mothers and children in India break free of the inter-generational cycle of poverty, malnutrition and ill health.

"It has helped over a million people in India," she told those watching her cooking. "It's about educating people to help themselves." She said that the charity has just two full time staff in the UK and needs more volunteers.

Earlier in the morning Cherie Blair enjoyed the wild flower section of Potters Fields Park as she walked from the Tooley Street entrance.