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Teens taught to cook five meals from scratch

Audrey Dias
BBC Points West
Sarah Turnnidge
BBC News, Bristol
BBC A group of students in white shirts and blue aprons stand in a kitchen classroom, listening to Kate, who is wearing an orange apron, speak. On the table there is a number of cutting boards with peppers and onions on them. BBC
Research shows that ultra-processed foods make up to two-thirds of adolescents' diets

A new charity says it wants to teach teenagers how to cook five fresh meals from scratch.

Bristol-based CRuNCH, founded by food writer and campaigner Kate Percy, has launched a programme to teach 11 to 14-year-olds kitchen basics.

Research published in 2024 found that young people in the UK get around two-thirds of their calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which tend to have high levels of added sugars, saturated fats and salts.

The 'Cook5' initiative, Ms Percy said, is designed to "take away the barriers to cooking from scratch".

Kate smiles at the camera in a school kitchen classroom. She has blonde hair, tied up, and wears an orange apron with the CRuNCH logo.
Ms Percy, who has lived in Bristol for more than 30 years, aims to make the city the first 'Cook5 city'

"Research shows when children reach adolescence their attitude towards healthy eating deteriorates," she added, explaining that the scheme was targeted and senior school children as "it's an age where children can really pick up skills easily".

The charity says it wants to make Bristol the first 'Cook5 city', with the hope that once it is fully underway all young people will leave home with the skills they need to cook five meals independently.

The initiative is a way of giving children "a foundation for them to carry on cooking for the rest of their lives", Ms Percy added.

Harrison smiles at the camera in the kitchen classroom. He is wearing a white shirt, buttoned up to the top, and a blue apron.
Harrison, 14, described the programme as a 'great opportunity'

The programme, which has already successfully been piloted at Merchants' Academy in Withywood and a school in London, was launched at Worle Community School Academy in Weston-super-Mare, on 3 March.

Mark Tidman, principal at the school, said he was "delighted" to see pupils getting involved in the Cook5 initiative, adding that it was "absolutely fantastic" students were learning skills for life.

"Having that knowledge of nutrients, what's healthy for them and exposing them to different recipes and different ways of cooking is absolutely essential in their development," he added.

Amelia stands with her hands behind her back in a kitchen classroom. She is smiling slightly at the camera and wearing a white shirt and bright blue apron.
Amelia, 11, said she had learned how cooking from scratch could help 'balance' her health

Year Eight pupil Carter, 12, described the session - in which students were taught how to prepare fajitas - as "really good", adding that the skills he learned meant he would be able to "cook a lot more at home".

"Being in the kitchen with lots of other people wanting to cook the same dish as you and actually cooking it is a great opportunity to learn," added Harrison, 14, while 11-year-old Amelia said she could see how cooking fresh food "can help balance out your health".

As well as teaching pupils how to make five meals, the Cook5 scheme also aims to give children nutrition tips and key skills over a five-week course.

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