10 Years On
Ten years on. Hope you like the video!
It’s now 10 years since I came up with the idea of bringing the theater of cooking to schools.
Inspired by working within the educational sector for a large support services company and having Alex, my son in preschool and finding myself away from home a number of days a week and also working long hours. What else I could do. I decided to write a business plan to deliver fun, interactive and inspiring healthy eating workshops for children.
The aim is still just the same today as 10 years ago. OK I now incorporate specific topics in to the workshops and the financial model is seldom met! But the aim is still to deliver fun, interactive and inspiring healthy eating workshops for children.
Its great fun working with children and adults from many varied backgrounds and with varied abilities. It seems to work, and yes, I have been able to be around much more for Alex, now 14, than I could have been working for large companies.
Of course, in early 2008, I knew there was a demand. I was working within the educational catering industry, and Jamie Oliver’s infamous turkey twizzlers had been recently screened. I knew I could present having been involved in numerous successful sales pitches and delivering training to my managers, but the big question was around presenting to children?
It seems I needn’t have worried, I soon developed a style and enthusiasm that seems to work for all.
What did I want the sessions to look like?
I was adamant that children could achieve more than others seemed to think, and that children actually have more diverse tastes than they or even their parents think. I wanted to challenge every ones tastes attending my workshops in a fun way. Hidden and visible vegetables, fruits, spices and healthier options all in dishes made from fresh ingredients and when possible use local suppliers. This needed to be part of every session.
It had to be possible to produce a complete meal with the involvement of the children and teachers in just over an hour. Most of all the children needed to taste the food during the session when it’s warm, ready and at its best. I didn’t want anything left lying around and taken home at the end of the day. This had to be about tasting great food that they had helped prepare and to have great fun making it.
Some Photos of the last 10 years!
The Video
Finally I have managed put together this short video using my little action camera, added a short voice over using video software and added a music from my Greek session. I hope it captures what I try to achieve.
Head Teacher? Go on, get in touch and let your children be inspired.
Pat
Pat Oakes
Phone 0151 342 7485
Mobile 07808 578634
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