Before the Covid-19 pandemic was upon us many young people have had limited access to cookery classes. Many families have been subjected to the prospect and reality of low income. Children and young adults have missed out on many aspects of education and socialisation ,normally provided by school.
In the community there are lots of good cooks . Some of those people would love to share their skills.We hear of problems such as loneliness and isolation within communities. Health issues such as obesity and eating disorders have been highlighted. We seem to blame individuals for these problems without looking at root causes.
My proposal would be to provide simple cookery classes for young people in school kitchens. The cooks would be selected for their ability not only to cook but to provide an environment that offered intergenerational mutual respect.
Food preparation and meal making requires maths , science, creativity and the ability to follow instructions.
It would be ideal if those young people could then teach their parents and carers and share their skills.
We have seen an increase in the use of food banks . This is not a long term solution for affordable food to make meals from. There is food waste which could be diverted to the’ cook clubs’.
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