Are celebrity chefs a good or a bad thing?

There are many ways in modern society to get rich and famous with what seems like relatively little effort – join a band, become a model, TV presenter, or… a celebrity chef! Just recently, there seems to have been a huge spate of kitchen-lovers on the TV, not least due to the vogue for old-fashioned British cuisine.

Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay are all good examples of chefs riding this trend.

On the one hand, they may inspire people to cook different foods or motivate them to be healthier. People can be exposed to different cultural foods through cooking programmes or cook books, and try something they never would have discovered on their own, like Moroccan food.

Some people might not have been brought up to enjoy cooking, because they may have had parents who were too busy to cook, preferred not to or didn’t know how. Celebrity chefs may provide a much-needed role model to get people to think that, they, too, can do it.

Jamie Oliver spearheaded a health campaign in the UK, promoted in his television show Jamie's School Dinners with the aim of improving school dinners for schoolchildren. A particularly infamous aspect was his call to ban the turkey twizzler. This campaign permanently changed food standard requirements across the UK, influencing government policy, and the show crossed the Atlantic to the to try to improve American eating habits.

On the other hand, overly complicated recipes and exotic ingredients may put off the average person. Too many kitchen appliances, unpronounceable dishes or five-hour long recipes. Watching cooking shows on TV is not quite the same as doing it yourself, and the irony is consuming a greasy take-away whilst sat in front of Ready, Stead, Cook. Trying to copy a celebrity chef can end up in a bit of a mess, too.

Equally, the cult of celebrity means that some people may become celebrity chefs without actually possessing a passion for cooking – or love being famous even more than food. Chefs have been accused of promoting ‘money-saving’ techniques, which come across as hopelessly middle-class and miss their target audience.

It can become a race to be the next big thing, and obscure the fact that the origins of the joy of food comes from eating a delicious, well-prepared meal  - with people you love. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not that expensive to cook with basic, fresh ingredients. A single onion shouldn’t set you back more than 10 pence from the grocer, or a 1k bag of pasta can be less than £1 from big supermarkets.

Be your own celebrity chef, and develop a cooking style all your own.

By Catherine Heath

Happy animals make a better world!

Meat has always been a large part of our national diet; from the Aussie-inspired ‘barbie’ to the traditional Sunday roast, it is often the focal point of a meal. With this in mind, it is important to think where our meat comes from.

It can be beneficial to think about what we are eating in terms of the benefits food can have on our bodies and our minds. The Mini Cooking Club works to promote healthy lifestyles, but also to teach children and vulnerable adults to engage with what they are eating. When it comes to meat consumption, this means thinking about animal welfare.

Animal welfare is defined by the Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) as the protection of any animal kept by man from unnecessary suffering. They argue that good animal welfare implies both fitness and a sense of well-being and that it should be guided from the following five principals:

1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst – by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from Discomfort – by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease – by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress – by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

It is worth noting that these rules are guidelines only, and it is not statutory for farmers in the UK to follow them. They define ‘ideal states rather than standards for acceptable welfare’. And, whilst they do suggest a framework for baseline animal welfare in this country, it could be that these principles are not adhered to - especially with the growth of industrial farming.

With the population set to reach over 9 billion by 2050, it is tempting to see large scale, industrial farming as the inevitable - and, indeed, the only option for the future. Industrial or intensive farming of animals is a large-scale operation, and often one where animals are kept indoors, with space being utilised to maximise output and profit. Industrial farming is not yet common in the UK, although some dairy and poultry farmers do already use this method.

Many people argue that industrial farming is a necessity as high standards of animal welfare would put the price of meat up to such an extent that it would become unaffordable for a large proportion of society. However, whilst higher-welfare meat may be expensive, it offers us an alternative to the problematic intensive farming industry. If we look at the evidence, it becomes clear that there is a heavy environmental and social burden associated with intensive farming and low animal welfare.

With the population growing rapidly, we cannot continue to eat meat at its current rate. According to Compassion in World Farming, one third of the world’s cereal crop goes to feeding farm animals. The land used for growing, as well as the crops themselves, could be used for human needs in some of the poorer parts of the world. When eating meat from overseas, it is important to take into account ethical implications such as these.

Farms that have a high level of animal welfare are more environmentally friendly. There is less toxic run off and pollutants added to soil and local water supplies. Polluting local water supplies can have a negative impact on the environment, making rivers and lakes less biologically diverse by affecting animal and plant populations. Heavy runoffs of nutrients from intensive farms can also cause toxic outbreaks in local water sources, such as algae blooms in rivers. These deplete the oxygen supply of the water, and cause environmentally ‘dead zones’.

With all these negative effects, on both environment and health, it may be that intensive farming should receive serious consideration before it is allowed to become standard global practice.

By Emma Jones
Image: num_skyman

Summer cooking tips!

By Debbie Valentine

For a lot of us (especially the men), cooking in the summer means only one thing: the barbeque. Whilst there is always a time and a place for a barbeque, summer is a great time to get into the kitchen and cook up some exciting, healthy and delicious food that you can hopefully enjoy al fresco.

It’s perfectly understandable that no-one wants to spend a lot of time slaving over a hot stove when the sun’s out, so it’s a great excuse to make some tasty summer food.

The staple of summer eating is often a big salad, but it doesn’t have to be a big bowl of lettuce leaves! As well as the tomatoes, cucumber and radishes that might go into your seasonal salad there’s all sorts you can add. New potatoes are in the shops in the summer and they’re equally good hot with dinner or cold in a potato salad. Why not add some chicken and some cous-cous for a Moroccan inspired salad? Different cheeses can really spruce up a salad – Feta is great with tomatoes, and parmesan gives a kick to chicken. Experiment with a big bowl and make it a family dinner. Don’t forget the croutons!

There are all kinds of fantastic veggies in season over the summer, so it’s really easy to get your 5-a-day. Beans, peas, broccoli, aubergine and courgette are all thriving in the sunshine. If the sun’s out, it’s a great opportunity to try some easy one-pot dishes you can pop in the oven and leave. Chicken and fish dishes lend themselves well to this, add in a colourful variety of veg and you’ve got a delicious dinner. Pasta dishes are always an easy family favourite, but don’t forget you can also have them cold in the summer. Make them with a lighter sauce – maybe add some sundried tomatoes, or courgettes for a twist on an old favourite.

My favourite course – pudding – can really come into its own in the summer. There is so much delicious fruit in season and available cheaply at markets and supermarkets. Strawberries and raspberries are my favourite, equally delicious served with cream (add some meringue to make an Eton Mess) or in something more adventurous. Plums, currants and blueberries are all in season over the summer as well. If you venture out of the city you can even visit a pick-your-own farm and make sure you get the best of the crop!

Finally, if you do decide the crack out the barbeque, don’t forget to make sure all your meat is cooked properly (you can cheat by starting meat off in the oven and just finishing them on the barbeque!). With a cold drink, a tasty salad and lashings of ketchup, what a great way to enjoy the British summer.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Image: piedmonte peppers, by Lydia Gerratt

Nettle pasta recipe by volunteer Annie

It's Summer Recipe month at the Mini Cooking Club! We've got an unusual recipe for nettle pasta to share with you by our cooking volunteer, Annie! Read on.

Being half Italian, I believe I’ve got a keen appreciation for all things food-related, especially when it comes to pasta. I remember my nonna and nonno spending hours together in the kitchen when I was growing up, painstakingly making pasta dough, rolling it through the machine, laying it over the little ravioli trays and filling each square with a delicious spoonful of meaty goodness.

These ravioli (we called them agnolotti) would then be stacked up in our freezer for months to come, ready to be whipped out and cooked up in about five minutes flat. Absolutely scrumptious with a bit of melted butter and some parmesan cheese.

Many years later I’ve managed to acquire a pasta-making machine of my own. Determined not to let it gather dust in my cupboard, I invited my gourmet friend over to help me make stinging nettle and ricotta cheese ravioli the other day.

Sounds a bit dodgy I know, but bear with me because the results are worth it. First step, picking the stinging nettles. We donned a pair of marigolds each and set out to our local park, which is thankfully a haven for the pesky weeds.

Attracting a few weird looks from the local dog-walkers, we stashed a big bunch of nettles safely in a bag and headed for home. After washing the nettles carefully (kept the marigolds on for this) we blanched them in boiling water (they lose their sting from the hot water) before draining and squeezing out the excess water. Then bunged them in the Magimix with 250gm of plain flour and 2 lightly beaten eggs and whizzed it all up together to form the dough.

Before you leave pasta dough to stand, you need to give it a good kneading on a lightly floured surface. This is tricky because if you over-knead it or put too much flour into the mixture, it will become heavy and lumpen and brittle. If you don’t knead it enough or there’s not enough flour then it remains sticky and wet and ends up more on your hands than anywhere else. It’s a bit of a test and learn process really, aiming to get the dough smooth and supple without over-doing it.

While the dough was resting (set it aside for an hour in cling film) we made the filling by whizzing together 700gm of ricotta cheese (surprisingly hard to find), 80gm of parmesan, 2 egg yolks and a pinch of ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Then came the fun bit, rolling the pasta. Obviously having watched my grandparents do it umpteen times, I thought we had this in the bag. It’s actually not as easy as they made it look. We ended up with loads of holes in the dough and had to re-run it through the machine a good few times before it started to really smooth out in a satisfyingly elastic way that stretched really well over the mould.

Then it was a simple matter of dolloping in the cheese mixture, a bit of eggwash round the edges to make the top layer of pasta stick and then pressed that into place. The little green ravioli popped out of the mould straight into a waiting pan of boiling salted water and then two minutes later hey presto...

Coated with melted butter, a few leaves of chopped up sage and a good handful of freshly grated parmesan, this was gratifyingly one of the most delicious meals I’ve eaten for a long time!

By Annie Bruzzone

Happy volunteers' week!

It's the 30th anniversary of national volunteers' week and the number thirty is their theme. Volunteer Eric Ogbogbo is only 26 so he's a bit too young for that theme, but we'll let him off. Eric has always lived locally in Peckham, which is where he co-runs our Fit Foodie class at the Copleston Centre. He specialises in exercise physiology, and is keen to share his experiences with us.

How did you get involved with the Mini Cooking Club?

I got involved with MCC because I liked the work they were doing with teaching children about healthy cooking. The idea seemed fun and positive and because it was happening in my local area I thought I should get involved and add to the organisation with my expertise in exercise.

What's your favourite part of working with Club? 

My favourite part of working with the MCC is getting the chance engage with the children and seeing them have fun or learn something from the session. Its wonderful when a parent tells me their child has been talking to others about the class or that they have been really looking forwards to coming back. That is all the reward I need and makes it all worthwhile.

How important is it to take part in community activities?

I think we all have a duty to add to our community one way or another. We all have skills or experience that can aid others so it important that we are active in the community to make our society a better places to live in for ourselves, our friends and family going forwards. If we all treated others as we would like to be treated, the world would be a much better place.

How healthy is your lifestyle? Do you exercise regularly and cook from scratch?

I am an exercise physiologist and run my own health and wellbeing company www.oglifestyles.co.uk so I have to be healthy but also it is just a part of my life. I teach people how to live healthily. It can be difficult to navigate with all the bad food and our busy lifestyles but there are simple things anyone can do ensure they exercise regularly and cook from scratch. Exercise should be fun so anything that gets you moving and your heart pumping which you enjoy is great, then food is at the centre of most cultures in the world. Cooking and eating is how we connect and celebrate, and express ourselves so we should look at preparing a meal as a meaningful event then enjoy the proceeds.

How do you come up with the activities for the children to do in the sessions?

I come up with the sessions by asking the children what they want to do the week before then deciding between a few options. I plan out the points I want get across to the children such as teamwork, the importance of cardiovascular fitness, etc then I try to incoporate it into the session. I try to make the sessions organic so I try to get input or decide what direction to take the session in from how the children are responding.

What's your best tip for living a healthy lifestyle?

My best tip for having a healthy lifestyle is; believe that you deserve to be healthy, be consistent and be organised.

Thanks, Eric!

Image: Eric and volunteer Andrew running a Fit Foodie exercise session for the Mini Cooking Club.

Catherine: a year with the Mini Cooking Club

This month is Catherine's one year anniversary at the Mini Cooking Club. She has been volunteering as communications officer, and is responsible for looking after social media, the Mini Cooking Club blog, and the e-newsletter. She has also been involved in other activities such as fundraising, events, volunteer recruitment and cooking classes.

What made you volunteer for the Mini Cooking Club in the first place?

I was working in a role that I wasn't really enjoying and the type of work wasn't at all what I wanted to do. I had only just graduated from my MA course in English Literature, so I was in search of more practical experience to help me find a job that would enable me to use the written skills I had learned. Also, I wanted to volunteer to help others and become more involved in the community. As I was living in South London at the time, and that is where the Club is based, my twin sister - who was previously also a volunteer for the Mini Cooking Club - recommended I apply for this role.

What is the most significant thing(s) you've learned over the past year?

I've learned how many great people there are to meet in the voluntary sector. The vast majority of people are very passionate about what they're doing and helping others. I also became - I hope! - much more skilled at writing technically. For example, how to communicate your message simply and effectively, and what type of writing best suits the web. Also, more interesting things to cook from Cecilia, the Mini Cooking Club's founder!

Why do you think healthy eating and cooking are important?

For a proper enjoyment of life, you need to feel healthy and the food you eat is a massive part of that. Schools can often be over stretched, so children might not learn valuable information about nutrition or really get a chance to learn practical skills. Obviously cooking skills give you the power to choose exactly what you eat, and those skills need to be learned! The Mini Cooking Club inspires children and adults to enjoy cooking.

What is a memory of the past year at the Club that really stands out?

When we tried to hold a fundraising cake sale and it decided to pour with rain. The tents we were under weren't very waterproof and it was also blowing a gale-force wind. Everyone was so helpful and positive, and I learned that sometimes you just have to adapt to circumstances! We still sold all the cakes.

What would you say to anyone else thinking of volunteering?

I would definitely say do it, but only after considering how much of your time you can give and whether you would be willing to give up, say, a few hours over consecutive Saturdays for a period of time to teach children how to cook! Volunteering is really fun and worth the while, but you only get out as much as you put in.

What about to someone who would like to learn to cook but is currently lacking in confidence?

I would say, it's perfectly natural to be nervous about trying something new but even the most famous, world-renowned chefs weren't born with a wooden spoon in their hand! Everyone learns the most basic skills first, so cutting vegetables and boiling pasta. Sure, you'll cook things that by common definition may be disgusting, but that is all part of the learning process. It's worth it for the sense of empowerment you'll get when you become more accomplished!

Volunteers cook and learn!

Clockwise from left: Monisha, Ingrid, Sophie, Eric, Annie, Oliver, Nicola and Catherine

The Copleston Centre is a church in Peckham that normally hosts our Fit Foodie, Creative Therapies and Family Cooking sessions, but today was just for Mini Cooking Club staff and volunteers.

This week's team meeting saw a big collection of our volunteers coming together for a healthy eating lesson, kitchen hygiene and safety reminder, and finally eating a home-cooked meal.

We made sure we were all up to speed on kitchen safety and hygiene essentials like always washing hands before handling food, and never running with knives. But you all knew that!  We covered the Eat Well plate, essentially a nutritional guide for eating a balanced diet, which must include carbohydrates, protein, some fat and lots of fruits and vegetables (big surprise!).

Cecilia Belier, the Mini Cooking Club founder, cooked everyone delicious mandarin pasta (mixed with rocket, green beans, and seasoned with olive oil and Parmesan). This was followed by freshly sliced pineapple, which was bursting with flavour due to the fact that it is now in season.

Led by Cecilia, this meeting shows just how complex the charity has grown. From a small organisation consisting solely of Cecilia and two others, the staff and volunteers included people from the cooking, fundraising and media sides of the charity.

Cecilia reminded us of why the Mini Cooking Club is all about food. In previous roles working in the public health sector, she experienced a lot focus on nutrition and not nearly enough on cooking. Cecilia started the charity with the aim of teaching children and adults the joy of cooking, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Near the end of the meeting, discussions moved a little sideways onto the Great British Allotment Challenge and the importance of 'digging for Britain' during the war. We talked about the sustainability of food, and whether any of us would reduce our meat and dairy consumption to cut emissions from farming.

We wondered if it was even necessary to eat meat at all, given the unethical treatment of livestock and poultry, and thought widespread community growing initiatives were probably the way forward.

There was a real sense of community and shared spirit that arose from the evening, and the conclusion of our debate was, quite simply, 'everything in moderation'. Thank you to Annie, Oliver, Monisha, Ingrid, Nicola, Eric and Sophie for coming, and thank you Cecilia for teaching and cooking - what a great evening.

Interview with Mini Cooking Club volunteer, Tim

Our wonderful volunteer, Tim, has been with the Mini Cooking Club ever since it started four years ago, and he is now one of our trustees. Tim tells us about what inspires him to volunteer.

What made you want to volunteer for a food charity?

Food plays such an important part in my life. Even after the worst day, you can always brighten it up with a delicious meal in the evening. 

What have you learnt since volunteering with The Mini Cooking Club?

It's easy to wrap yourself up in the London rat race: coming to the various classes, watching or helping people from all walks of life learn so much about nutrition and food preparation is both satisfying and humbling. I have learned not to take anything in life for granted, even the smallest of things, as we often do not appreciate how lucky we are.

What is your best memory/funny moment from the Mini Cooking Club?

Being in a class and witnessing the reaction of kids touching raw meat for the first time was quite something.

What would you say to people that are thinking about volunteering with us?

Make sure you understand that volunteering may look fun and "glamorous" from the outside - but ask yourself if you really want to give up  your weekends, or your evenings, to come and help others.
You need to be really passionate about what you're doing and what you want to achieve.

Thanks, Tim! 

Volunteering with The Mini Cooking Club

Volunteers play such an important role in our charity, without them we could not do the amazing work we are doing at the moment. The Mini Cooking Club runs cooking classes for children and families in the borough of Southwark.

Our volunteers are often university students studying a nutrition related degree that are looking to expand their skills and get on hands experience in the field, or professionals in the food industry wanting to give back to the community. However, you do not have to be an expert in nutrition or cooking to volunteer for us.

For the last couple of years, the Club has had a range of volunteers from all walks of life. Some are retired and looking to meet new people, while some are professionals who are tired of the London rat race and looking for new experiences. We even have chefs who want to put their skills at work even after cooking the whole day!

However, what all of our volunteers have in common is sharing their passion of food with others.

One of our volunteers says: “I’ve found that eating well can make a big difference to my health and would love to share this knowledge with other people”.

A typical day for a Mini Cooking Club Volunteer may consist of assisting in the kitchen, helping people with knife skills, talking about the nutritional content of food or writing food-related articles. Whatever your interest is, there is something for everybody – but what is also important is that you are “keen, socially motivated with an appetite for change.”

Volunteers say that they learn a lot of things related to food and nutrition. They say that they also find it humbling to witness people learning about this. However, being a volunteer brings with it a lot of memorable moments.

One volunteer says “Being in a class and witnessing the reaction of kids touching raw meat for the first time was quite something.”


If you are thinking of volunteering with The Mini Cooking Club and seeing what it is like to share the joy of cooking, our volunteers say: “Do it, it's a fantastic experience.”

For volunteering opportunities please contact us at info@theminicookingclub.org.uk or visit our website for more information.

By Yancy Jensen

Dragon Café Southwark re-opens for 2014!

The latest creative endeavour by Mental Fight Club, the Dragon Café, has been warmly welcomed back this year with new funding from the Maudsley Charity.

Every Monday in Borough, Southwark, the crypt in St Giles the Martyr Church becomes a hive of activity – thanks to an innovative and inspiring programme of events that explore issues relating to mental health, recovery and well-being. It’s very exciting to see this creative hub back and as busy as ever, offering artistic and physical activities for all to drop in and experience for free.

Sometimes discussing our mental health can seem like a daunting task. We may feel disconnected from our peers or embarrassed to admit that we’re feeling overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so important that spaces such as the Dragon Café exist, in order to offer an impartial and comprehensive range of discussions and activities dedicated to promoting good mental well-being.

The Café gives people the chance to work through recovery while trying new experiences to see what works for them as an individual, but also invites a social atmosphere where the assumed or real stigma that often surrounds mental health is pushed aside by frank and open conversation.

Suffering in silence should never be an option: the Dragon Café embraces originality and inclusion.  Fixtures include art workshops, book swaps and, this month, a class in mindfulness training!

Mindfulness can provide assistance with feelings of anxiety or stress by teaching us to ground ourselves in the moment.

Physical activities include massage, dancing, Tai Chi and, from April, boxing classes. Massage in particular can help to re-establish the connection between mind and body.

There is even a selection of yummy vegetarian food on offer, from moussaka to soup – all at affordable prices!

You can check out the Café’s weekly programme of events here. In the meantime, here are our top three tips to promote good mental health and wellbeing:

1.    Talk to someone – whether it is a friend, family member or mental health professional, remember there is always someone there for you, and you are not on your own.

2.    Eat well – eating healthy and nutritious food is proven to have positive effects on our mental health. Engaging with our food and cooking at home is a task that enables us to focus, while cooking with others can be a social and enjoyable experience!

3.    Be active – this doesn’t necessarily mean physical exercise. Creative outlets like the ones provided by the Dragon Café can provide a new way to engage with your mental health and take control.

Congratulations to the Dragon Café on their re-opening! Find out more about the Dragon Café.

By Emma Jones

Nutrition and Mental Health

Food plays a very important role in our day-to-day living. Food gives us energy and helps us maintain various essential physiological processes. Basically, it keeps us alive! 

However, when we talk about food giving us this range of benefits, we are talking about healthy food. By healthy food, we mean nutritious food that has been prepared at home and with carefully-selected nutritious produce. 

Eating healthy home cooked meals helps us maintain our bodies in good health. However, nutrition is not only related to the role it has to play with our physical health – it is also an essential component of maintaining our mental health.

Much of nutrition research surrounding mental health has been mainly been focused around exploring the role of individual nutritional components such as Vitamin B12 and Omega 3 Fatty acids in order to manage illness. Within this research, there have been positive results correlating good nutrition and the prevention of mental health illness (Compass Group, 2014). But what role does nutrition have on people already living with mental health concerns?

Firstly, eating a nutritious meal is not only about focusing on the food it itself. Yes, we should be thinking about eating a varied diet that includes eating our five-a-day, cutting our levels of saturated fat and consuming less salt.

But we should also be thinking about how important it is to share meals with people we care about and also about sharing meals with people we have just met. Preparing and eating food is also a social affair that has an immense impact on our social lives and our mental health.

There is just something about food that creates an amazing catalyst for us to create new relationships and nurture existing ones. However, for people living with mental health issues, doing this might be more of a challenge due to social, economic and environmental factors. But, it does not mean we must not do anything about it!

The Mini Cooking Club has been working with adults with mental health concerns for 3 years. We run 6-week courses where people can learn how to prepare healthy balanced meals, how to cook on a budget and general nutritional information.

We run our sessions at the Coplestone centre, which is a safe and conducive learning environment for people to meet new friends and be social. If you would like to volunteer with us in this project or would like to join a session have a look at our website: www.theminicooking.org.uk.

If you would like to know more about what healthy swaps you can make The Mental Health Foundation has some great resources. 

                                     By Jancy Hensen

Cooking with Mencap

The Mini Cooking Club had lots of fun at our first ever cooking session in partnership with Mencap charity! The Mini Cooking Club is a charity whose aim is to combat rising levels of obesity by providing free cooking sessions for children aged 5-11. Mencap works together with people with a learning disability, and supports them to live the life they choose.

The first session on Sunday 26th January was held at St Mary’s Primary School in Wimbledon. There were 18 children at this week’s session, a mixture of boys and girls and all with different levels of needs. It was raining quite a lot that day, but the mood inside the kitchen was much brighter.

Our founder, Cecilia Belier, who also works for Compass as Community Training Manager, led the session supported by our top volunteer Andrew Bresler. Compass is the biggest provider of catering and support services to schools, colleges and universities in the UK. Cecilia is very experienced in helping people with special needs and has run the community kitchen at Lambeth College for several years. She says, “Seeing the children always puts a smile on my face, especially if I’m feeling a bit flat!”

Andrew’s background is in finance and he is a recent addition to the Mini Cooking Club team. He says that teaching kids how to cook is something he’s always wanted to do, so volunteering as Cooking Assistant has been a great opportunity.

As this was week one, Cecilia made sure it was an introductory session to help assess each child’s level of cooking ability.  She and the kids learned to prepare and make a healthy vegetable salad for the main course and a fruit salad for dessert. The vegetable salad had a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

The children said that they found the class fun and informative. Children of all abilities were able to get involved and build their confidence with simple culinary tasks.

The Mencap team leader, Sue, was a great laugh and her energy kept us all having fun. She said that it’s really good for the kids to spend more time in the kitchen as it teaches them skills for life. It helps the children to become involved in the food process as it improves their understanding, from seeing where the food is bought, correct storage methods (fridge, freezer or cupboard), appropriate preparation methods and the importance of hygiene.

The second week’s menu featured African stew and apple crumble! Our mouths are watering just thinking about it.

If you want to volunteer or donate to the Mini Cooking Club, or sign up to one of our classes, please visit our website.    

Our founder, Cecilia Belier, making vegetable salad with the kids

By Catherine Heath

Deskilling Our Generation

Having walked the aisles of many supermarkets I have recently seen an upsurge of raw food convenient products. The pre-sliced vegetable section has grown since my last visit!

These pre-packaged vegetables are attractive as they provide an element of convenience in our already busy life. I mean who wants to spend 30 seconds grating a carrot when you can just buy it prepared.

But who is benefiting from this type of product? At what cost is it coming to us not just in terms of money but in terms of skills? What about the energy and resources used to package the products? What about the waste from the packaging? What effect does this kind of product have on our future generation and their ability to cook for themselves?

I bought a package of the already grated carrots and some loose carrots. I was curious to see what they tasted like and was also curious to compare the actual monetary cost.

The picture above speaks for itself. But, let me just say that when I opened the bag fresh was not the first word that came to mind! I didn’t even think to wash it as the product states that it is already washed.

As I stood there munching away, I noticed the allergy advice: may contain celery, egg, gluten, milk and soy. I ask why on earth would a carrot contain all these products?

Are we really saving that much time when we buy such products? And what are we doing with the time we save?

Buying convenient raw food products is coming to a cost, monetary and skill wise.

If you are interested in your child attending a free six-week cooking course, and live in the borough of Lambeth or Southwark, please visit the Mini Cooking Club website for more information, or email us.

By Yancy Jensen