Bernard Matthews Backs Craft Guild’s Schools Initiative

The events, which were trialled earlier in the year, see Craft Guild members visit school classroom kitchens to get parents and guardians cooking with their children. Bernard Matthews will be providing turkey for the events, including at the first event in 2012, which is scheduled to take place on January 11 at the Simon Balle School in Hertfordshire. Duncan Marsh, general manager of Bernard Matthews Foodservice, said the summer workshops would also use the firm's turkey to show families that turkey can be used to create a whole host of favourite dishes and offers a wide range of cuts. Not only that, but he pointed out skinless turkey breast was low in fat and saturated fat. "Supporting healthy eating is certainly something that we are committed to doing as a company. The workshops that the Craft Guild are running are the perfect avenues to get families enjoying cooking and eating together, and to get all involved learning about where their food comes from and the nutritional benefits of food," he said. "We are certainly proud to lend our name to such a top concept and hopefully the workshops will continue to go from strength-to-strength." The emphasis at the workshops, which will start to be rolled out fully into schools next year, will be on back to basics. Knowledge of ingredients, cooking equipment, nutrition and cost savings will all be talked about by the chefs. The workshops are hands-on, so having fun while cooking is the central theme that the Craft Guild wants to promote. The support from Bernard Matthews is part of a wider commitment to events that encourage healthier diets and a better understanding of food. During National School Meals Week (NSMW) in November, which involved five themed days, Bernard Matthews sponsored the Get Travelling Day, which aimed to encourage pupils to learn about food from different countries, try new cuisines and have fun. Despite an increase in cooking shows in the mainstream media, there is concern that many families lack the understanding of what constitutes a healthy, nutritious and cost effective meal. They also miss out on the enjoyment that eating together as a family provides, and the simple pleasures and satisfaction of cooking and then eating food. The Craft Guild hopes that more sponsors will be in place to help with ingredients. It is also looking at its business partners to find solutions for offering the workshop experience to schools who don't have good catering facilities. For more information on the cooking in schools initiative visit www.craftguildofchefs.org.