Wanting to increase the number of young people in Open Access activities
Young people were guiding to work together as a team to make decision on what they were cooking and the reasons behind it. They were supported when practicing and developing skills in the kitchen such as chopping veg and boiling rice.
Some young people needed prompting when it came to kitchen hygiene and food safety. Collectively the group were shown how to use different knives and cutting techniques helping them feel more confident and safe in the kitchen.
The goals were to build confidence and skills in teamwork. To become confident in the kitchen.
Food hygiene and safety qualification and education.
At the start the group struggled with teamwork and often left things incomplete, but at the end they were able to start dividing tasks and working together such as creating a menu, shopping for the ingredient and then prepping, cooking and serving the menu. Individuals within the group who struggled with confidence were excelling in expressing their opinions and ideas at the end, as they were supported by other group members to have their say.
Prior to the sessions the group had very limited basic knowledge of food hygiene and kitchen safety, many saying they have never cooked before or hardly get the chance to at home. At the end of the sessions, each individual had learnt the basics of properly hand washing, how to prevent cross contamination and skills such as using an oven and cutting.
Being given the opportunity to cook and learn about healthy lifestyles helped me a lot.
Knowing more about cooking and the difference between fast food and home cooked meals has made me want to do more and eat less rubbish.
