The world is increasingly digital, remote, and impersonal. There is more opportunity than ever for young people to spend their time detached from the real world and fewer places to learn practical skills. Here is how your church or community group kitchen can provide the lessons and practice that set up children and teenagers with new confidence and abilities.

Cookery skills for young people

By hosting cookery lessons in your kitchen, you can foster an interest in and love for cooking in young people, who can take those skills to university, adulthood, and family life. Not only will help them become well-rounded individuals who eat better, but it could also help them find a hobby, a lifelong passion, or even a career.

Cooking also teaches teamwork

While cooking can of course be a solo activity, doing it in classes and working on large projects together is also a rich part of the kitchen experience. For example, if your organisation were to help young people cater for a large event, it would be a fantastic lesson in teamwork, not to mention an enormous sense of achievement. Catering can also be a high-stress activity, giving young people a chance to develop resilience and learn to operate under pressure.

Using cookery to teach about nutrition

As a society, we are increasingly detached from our food, especially when we buy pre-prepared meals to fit around time-poor lifestyles. As a result, there is a risk that future generations know and care less about the ingredients that make their meals. Preparing food helps them to connect with it, and understand what goes into a meal, and offers a suitable context to discuss with them the impact of nutrition of life and long-term health.

How cooking can help young people with budgeting

The kitchen is the perfect place to introduce children to budgets, not just with a sense of how much ingredients and supplies cost, but also with concepts like economies of scale and the value of buying in bulk when appropriate. You could even build lessons around budgets, giving young people an exercise in which they have limited resources to use smartly to create a meal.

How to make your kitchen the perfect classroom for cookery skills

To attract young people to your classes and to keep them returning, your kitchen needs to be a pleasant and welcoming space. A drab and deteriorating kitchen will not be a pleasure to work in, and will put people off joining in. Instead, if you have a kitchen that is bright, colourful, easy to use, and hygienic, it will be a safe and enjoyable place to learn.

The best way to ensure your kitchen ticks all those boxes is to opt for a mild steel carcass and a stainless-steel worktop. The mild steel provides durability and hygiene, without the excessive cost of a commercial-style kitchen, and while still allowing a range of colours.

You can also consult with a kitchen design expert about the idea layout for your space, and the equipment that you will need for your goals. Our friendly team are always on hand to advise, so if you’d like to consult with someone about how your kitchen can the best space possible for serving the community, call 020 8254 0900, or email [email protected].