Eight children from Bethany Junior School in Boscombe have been learning culinary skills on a six-week course at Flavours School of Cookery in Bournemouth.
One of the lessons found them making ‘Five-a-Day Pasta’ with Marcus Fidge, the lead teacher.
Using fresh ingredients including courgettes, onions, capsicum peppers, carrots and garlic, the children were tutored in a range of cookery skills.
The pupils, aged from eight to ten, discovered how to safely chop vegetables with a sharp knife and how to grate ingredients before simmering them on the hob.
Working with boiling water was also tackled and each child weighed a portion of penne pasta before tipping it into the saucepan.
They took home four portions of pasta in sauce, topped with cheese, made by themselves.
Previous weeks saw them making chicken pie, including pastry made from scratch, and an Indian themed menu with samosas, naan bread and dal.
The course also includes chocolate brownies and ends with a surprise Christmas themed cookery experience.
The initiative has been funded by an anonymous donor via Variety Wessex, the local branch of Variety the Children’s Charity.
It is part of Variety’s Great Days Out scheme that aims to give children positive experiences and days to remember.
Liz Rawson Jones, Pastoral Lead at Bethany CE Junior School said: “What a wonderful experience this is for our children.
“Watching their confidence grow each week is incredible.
“They go from complete beginners, who have no idea on holding a knife, using a grater or even lighting the hob, to confidently cutting, chopping, weighing, grating and using the oven and hob –
even reading recipes and following instructions.
“They can take the skills they learn over these few short weeks and use them for the rest of their lives.
“I am so thankful to Variety for giving these children such a life changing experience. This is something that they will always remember.”
Frances Cornelius, chair of Variety Wessex, said: “Thank you everyone at Flavours School of Cookery for giving these children the opportunity to learn good cooking skills, particularly Marcus for such expert teaching.
“They will benefit from this experience for the rest of their lives. I can’t thank our anonymous donor enough!”
- All pictures by Hattie Miles.