Teaching cooking skills in the community

Cooking skills are vital to achieving healthy and sustainable diets and yet continue to be in decline in the UK.  Community based cooking skills projects are therefore an integral component of local strategies to improve health, environmental and general well-being.

However, local cooking skills projects are increasingly at risk due to dwindling public resources, which are increasingly managed by commissioners and procurement professionals less familiar with evidence, good practice and the importance of cooking skills. Unrealistic expectations regarding outcomes, such as reducing obesity, also tend to be set.

This project aims to develop guidance for those running local cooking skills workshops, highlighting best practice. It is supported by practitioners and academics with expertise in community-based cooking skills teaching in England, Wales and Scotland.