Ainsley Harriott: Cooking is a 'great gift' for young people
Ainsley Harriott believes teaching young people to cook is one of the "greatest gifts" they can receive.
Ainsley Harriott believes teaching young people to cook is one of the "greatest gifts" they can receive.
The Ainsley's Taste of The Bahamas presenter has lent his support to a new initiative from the Scouts, who have partnered with HelloFresh to launch a reimagined Chef's Badge for 10-14 year olds, teaching them essential culinary skills such as meal planning, preparation and production.
Ainsley - himself a former Scout - said in a statement: “It’s absolutely brilliant that HelloFresh is partnering with Scouts in order to encourage them to develop their taste in food. Cooking is one of the greatest gifts you can give a young person. When they learn how to chop, stir, taste and portion properly, you can see their confidence grow. Scouts already do brilliant things with food, this badge gives them even more reason to get stuck in.”
The new badge has been revealed at the start of Food Waste Action Week and comes after new research showed a generational cooking gap, with more than half (55%) not confident making a meal for themselves or others, despite 99% of parents insisting it is one of the most important life skills.
Of the young people surveyed, 62% can't make soup and 67% don't know how to produce a curry, and a similar figure can't even identify recommended portion sizes for everyday food items including vegetables.
The new Chef's Badge will feature new twists on requirements and the opportunity to use menu cards to help understand portion sizes to reduce waste, as well as help cook nutritious meals.
Dwayne Fields, UK Chief Scout, said: “I’m thrilled to see our reimagined Chef’s Badge launch today in partnership with HelloFresh. Cooking is one of the most important skills a young person can learn, it builds confidence, independence and a real understanding of the world around them.
"This badge gives Scouts the chance to cook tasty meals, understand portioning and reduce waste, all while gaining practical skills they’ll use for life. That’s what Scouting is about: helping young people grow into capable, thoughtful citizens who can make a positive difference.”
