Cooking Initiative Seeks to Transform Food Practices

Nicky Whitfield, one of hundreds participating in a project that teaches cooking from scratch, stated, “Nowadays people are finding it difficult to cook fresh food I think, and it’s pretty simple really.” The organizers of Cook24 aim to expand their initiative throughout Wales, intending to “transform the nation’s relationship with food” by promoting the preparation of affordable meals using fresh, raw ingredients, with a particular emphasis on local vegetables. This initiative, based in Carmarthenshire, has drawn nearly 1,400 students of various ages over the last year. It was conceived by award-winning restaurateur and food writer Simon Wright, who noted that it instilled confidence to “take more control over the way that you eat.” Nicky Whitfield, currently employed part-time, recounted facing difficulties after her job contract concluded last year. She expressed being “really grateful” for the knowledge gained from the course, stating, “I think it’s really lovely that this is being offered to the community and it’s free and all the ingredients are fresh.” She further explained that the course enhanced her cooking abilities and ensured her meals were economical: “We’ve got all the help and we can take it home and eat.” Lisa Davies, a mother of five, reported that the courses have assisted her in cooking within a budget. Lisa stated, “I’ve always cooked from scratch,” adding, “But like a lot of us the budget is getting tighter and tighter. This was amazing because there was no meat involved so it’s a much cheaper meal.” She continued, “I’ve never cooked with just veg – today, doing the vegetable bakes and everything has been brilliant because it’s so much cheaper than cooking with meat.” The initiative receives support from Coleg Sir Gar, a further education college, the local council, and the UK government. Simon Wright commented, “It brings a resilience and a resource and a skill to people that they might not have, and that confidence means that you can take more control over the way that you eat.” He added, “You’ve got more choices available to you because you can cook and I think that’s particularly important where communities are struggling.” Simon Wright indicated that the organizers have collaborated with food banks and schools, citing that the next generation “are facing a lot of challenges around food.” Participants from a local food bank in Llanelli have enrolled in the courses. Jane Patricia Sinclair, one such participant, mentioned that they could utilize ingredients from the food bank in the recipes taught during the course: “I really enjoyed it because they showed you different foods.” Paul Scofield, who retired due to medical reasons, stated that his “income has plummeted from when I was working” and that the course also provided guidance on where to purchase food. He remarked, “I’ve always eaten processed stuff, so to come on this course, is something interesting for me.” He further added, “This just gives me a broader spectrum of cooking things differently.” Carol Williams, the assistant food bank manager, reported that some individuals were now able to manage without the food bank’s assistance following the course. She noted that they also acquired improved cooking skills and learned to utilize ingredients more efficiently. Williams stated, “We had eight guests that we’d been supporting through food bank for quite some time.” She continued, “By the time we’d finished the course six out of the eight were no longer needing food bank support because their skills had been increased.” She concluded, “We’d been helping with the wraparound support and then they felt confident to be able to provide for themselves healthy, nutritious meals.” The project is scheduled to conclude next month; however, organizers indicated an increased demand for assistance. They have initiated a crowdfunding appeal to establish a new charity, Cegin y Bobl / The People’s Kitchen, with the aim of replicating the Carmarthenshire model throughout Wales, employing chefs as tutors. Dr. Nathan Einbinder of the University of Plymouth, an expert in regenerative food and farming, characterized the initiative as a blueprint project “which helps on many different levels.” Dr. Einbinder remarked, “Teaching kids how to cook is potentially giving kids a lot of empowerment to take power over their diets.” He added, “It also can ripple out into the community into their homes and there is a chance for a big change.”