The Food is Fun Programme

We are proud to introduce our exciting Food Technology programme devised by Masterchef Peter Gorton in association with Castles Kitchens. Peter is the Michelin-starred head chef/proprietor of “The Horn of Plenty” near Tavistock. He is the Vice-President of the Masterchefs of Great Britain and was awarded a Michelin Star for 9 straight years.

Our “FOOD IS FUN” programme has been developed to help schools deliver elements of Food Technology and to promote healthy eating. We believe that in addition to children learning about balanced diets and the mechanics of food we must also communicate the fun of cooking and being able to produce healthy food that is good to eat.

Our “travelling kitchen” was designed and built by Castles Kitchens in Plymouth, and is available for full-day or half-day events throughout Devon and Cornwall. These demonstrations will focus on the “fun of cooking” and “how to produce healthy food that is good to eat”.

Key Stage 1 - “How food can be fun and healthy”
Short, 30 minute Show-and-Tell sessions showing the children normal and unusual fish (e.g. mackerel, gurnard, octopus etc), fruit/vegetables (e.g. mango, dragon fruit, ginger etc) and herbs (e.g. rosemary, mint etc plus other smelly things like vanilla). If there is enough time we get the children to touch and smell the food, with lots of hand-washing of course!

Key Stage 2 - “How food can be fun and healthy”
We add to the Show-and-Tell by starting out with an interactive food workshop, normally a 25-minute session preparing and cooking individual pizzas in teams (45 minutes in total). These pizzas are then taken away for them to eat (at school or at home). We also provide each child with a recipe card to take home to encourage them to cook with their parents.

Key Stage 3 (Secondary students ages 11-14) – “Cooking techniques”
Short, 45 minute hands-on demonstrations for each class focusing on cooking techniques, healthy eating and methods. Includes more advanced food preparation with the students, such as creating savoury dishes, desserts etc.

Key Stage 4 (Secondary students ages 14-16+) – “Survival cooking”
Up to two-hour cooking demonstrations, focusing on what to cook as a young adult – particularly when leaving home for work or further education. How to have fun while surviving in the big wide world. Includes questions and answer sessions with students and tasting sessions.

Lunchboxes – “Healthy and Practical”
A half-day interactive session which can be aimed at both children and parents. Giving tips on how to cost-effectively and practically create a range of foods for school children's lunchboxes. Chef's tips for the parents, and samples for the children - with the aim of encouraging them to try something new.

The “FOOD IS FUN” programme is available now throughout the South West, having been piloted at schools in Plymouth. This webpage outlines the general offering, however individual events can be tailored to your school’s needs. Events can be held on a morning or afternoon, whole day or over a range of days to suit, depending on availability.

Prices start from around £300, however each Food Is Fun event is different and priced accordingly (shorter, cheaper events are possible). Travel costs outside the Plymouth area are extra.

We will bring our own kitchen, cooking equipment, ingredients and food. All you will need to provide is a suitable demonstration area and two 13-amp electrical supplies (and the students!).

In a typical full-day event we would be able to present four or five individual demonstrations, each lasting 40-50 minutes for a class of 30 to 60 pupils. We estimate being able to address up to 250 pupils in a full day. The prices include the full cost of food and a recipe card or quiz for each pupil to take home.