Can you teach a city to cook?
Many people, particularly the young, lack the skills to cook everyday meals from scratch. We find out about a new initiative that's trying to change that.
For you the reader and visitor to Lovefood.com, cooking is no doubt commonplace in your lives and homes. But now you are increasingly in the minority and the norm is the exact opposite where many, particularly young people, are not cooking, either through choice or simply because they do not have the skills. What we have is a situation where cooking could be lost in a generation.
Can you cook
In 2011, the English Beef and Lamb Executive released the results of a study entitled 5by25, conducted to research the cooking habits of the nations under 25 year olds. The study shows that when set three recipes, Spaghetti Bolognaise, Tikka Masala and Yorkshire Puds, over 90% of those who took part could not make all three and 60% could not make the Spaghetti Bolognaise. It’s scary out there - fast food is everywhere and when linked to the lack of cookery, it’s no wonder obesity and all of the other associated health problems are on the increase. So what can be done and how can change happen?
Teaching Liverpool to cook
This month in Liverpool, saw the launch of Teaching Liverpool to Cook (TLC) – a 100 day campaign. Developed by the Can Cook Studio, the campaign will link the sponsorship of up to 500 businesses to cookery training that will teach thousands of young people to cook up to 3 meals, and cook them well. The intention is to inspire the young people to want to cook, to cook at home and to carry on cooking well after the training is over. And this is how it will work.
Try the recipes
A cookery movement will be created that reaches out across the entire city. 500 companies will sponsor the campaign and in return, Can Cook will teach one member of staff from each company – introducing new skills and improving the health of workplaces City-wide. Then, with the balance of the sponsorship, Can Cook will recruit the young people, first teaching them basic skills and quickly moving them on to be able to produce meals that they will enjoy and want to cook. Everyone will learn to cook three recipes from scratch. You can view and try all the recipes here. Finally, 100 are chosen for Master-classes and they in turn will become the Cookery Ambassadors for their company or group or school.
It’s that simple
The 100-day recruitment campaign starts now and when all of the companies are on board, another 100 days of training will follow. Training will take place in a cookery studio, factories, offices, schools and in a ‘pop up’ cookery school – all intended to catch the imagination of the city and re-introduce home cooking.
The future
TLC is the next step in Can Cook’s mission to Teach Everyone to Cook. Now into their fifth year of training, over 8000 people have been taught to cook and to some considerable effect. On their website you can find a report by City University London into the impact of Can Cook’s work with school age children, it proves what can be done and the results speak for themselves. If you want to know more about TLC or take a look at the report go to www.cancook.co.uk – where you will also find lots more recipes! For what is happening with 5by25 go to
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