At the Community Kitchen, we support families to build confidence in the kitchen and enjoy nutritious, delicious, and budget-friendly meals. As part of that mission, we’ve spent the last five years hosting primary school children from across Brighton & Hove for fun, hands-on three-week cooking courses. On day one, many children have never cooked before and turn their noses up at anything green. By the end, they are confidently making recipes from scratch, eagerly trying new veggies, and safely handling knives and hot pans.
Bringing science and maths to life
Cooking is a fantastic way to bring the science & maths curriculum to life, including observing changes from solids to liquids, reactions from baking and measuring ingredients. Our community chefs love to combine cooking with experiments, including mixing yeast, sugar and water and allowing the carbon dioxide produced to slowly fill a balloon throughout the class.
We also support children to become food waste champions, exploring the science of compost and sharing simple food waste tips, teaching them about the whole cycle of food and the importance of protecting our local environment.
“When our Year Five children… cook with the Community Kitchen team, they’re not just learning recipes and important life skills— they’re discovering confidence, teamwork and the joy of creating something that brings the class together.”
Trying new foods
We introduce pupils to the sights, textures, and tastes of ingredients — giving them plenty of time to explore everything from olives and peppers to apricots. By getting hands-on with food at every stage, from raw produce to a finished recipe, children build a natural curiosity and confidence around the food. Seeing how a crunchy raw carrot or pepper transforms after being cooked shows them the magic of cooking, making unfamiliar ingredients feel less scary and easier to try.
Building confidence
Each session our community chefs help to develop new skills and independence, demonstrating and practising the bridge and claw chopping techniques, to create a wide range of delicious dishes from pasta sauces to frittatas and pizzas. Using knives is a big step for many children and it’s amazing to see their confidence & skills grow as they take on more complex dishes. We choose adaptable recipes, so they have autonomy over their food, with many choosing to add veggies to their frittatas, into their pasta sauce and on their pizzas.
“… has absolutely loved the course, and we’ve enjoyed hearing his enthusiasm before and after each session. He has become so much more confident with cooking and has eagerly cooked several of the recipes for us at home”- A parent
By the final week they aren’t just following recipes, but they are taking more ownership over their food and gaining confidence to get involved in cooking at home. We love hearing the stories of children cooking for their families at home, trying new foods and expanding their horizons. When they take their tasty bakes and dishes home with them, there is always pride across their faces.
Our classes for primary school children are about so much more than just recipes, it’s an opportunity to learn outside the classroom by getting hands on, trying new foods, building resilience and encouraging healthy eating habits.
These classes are vitally important as many schools no longer have cookery facilities on site to teach these vital life skills. We also find that leaving the classroom environment & learning from our skilled chefs can support children to feel more confident & independent – with it being especially meaningful for children who may struggle in a regular classroom environment.
We are currently seeking support to continue our Schools Cookery Project:
- Donations: Your financial support can help ensure the kitchen’s continued operation and reach more individuals in need.
- Attend a class: Buy a ticket for one of our evening and weekend classes and learn new cooking techniques from some of Brighton & Hove’s best chefs and cookery teachers.
- Hire the space: Host your next event at the Community Kitchen to help support our work. We host Team Building events, hen do’s, community groups and parties.
- Join our upcoming fundraiser: Enjoy tacos, cocktails and authentic cuisine in our Mexican Supper Club with Xavier Buendia. A huge thank you to Xav who is kindly donating his time to help raise funds for our schools groups.
