Caring Cooks to host first Food Education Conference

Monday 26 February 2018

Caring Cooks has invited expert speakers from the UK to its first ever Food Education Conference from 09:00 to 14:00 on 1 March at the Hotel de France.

The conference is designed to inspire and motivate the community to develop an environment where children grow up with a positive attitude towards food, and learn not only how to grow food and cook it, but what's good to eat for their future health. 

Melissa Nobrega, CEO, said: “We believe that by equipping children with the essential tools and skills they need to grow food and cook it, as well as learning to eat the right foods for their bodies, we can start creating an environment that we haven’t seen for over 30 years.  How we shop, cook and eat is very different to how it was in the 70s and 80’s which has given rise to increased rates of obesity, ill health and tooth decay, but we can’t do this alone.

"We are already working closely with government and want to continue to grow this partnership working to deliver the mission of Caring Cooks, and the conference is a great platform to do this.” 

A number of speakers have been invited to discuss a variety of subjects including the long term effects of childhood ill health, transforming food culture within schools or connecting children with food and nature among others.

Among the speakers is Jeanette Orrey, MBE, a children's food campaigner and former school 'dinner lady' who received an MBE in 2012 for her services to food in schools. She is the co-founder of Food For Life, an organisation which brings schools, nurseries, hospitals and care homes, and their surrounding communities together around the core ethos of healthy, tasty and sustainable food.

Olivier Blanc, the son of chef Raymond Blanc, and of a Cordon Bleu trained mother, will talk about ' Henri Le Worm' the app he launched in 2013 with the help of his father and Simon Pegg. He regularly visits schools explaining how the teachers can use Henri as an educational tool as well as raising awareness of how to improve the food culture within schools. 

Tim Baker, Headteacher at Charlton Manor Primary School, is a board member of the School Food Plan Alliance, National Childhood Measurement Programme and the RHS Education Committee. He also serves on the London Food Board where he provides expertise and support to the London Mayor Sadiq Khan. He will discuss the importance of the ritual of eating well, and together, on mental wellbeing.

Tickets for the conference are available online for £25 and include lunch.