Jamie Oliver and his mobile kitchen are roaming around this summer teaching us to cook

Words Miriam Carey

Jamie Oliver, one of the UK’s favourite family chefs, has teamed with Hotpoint to travel the UK teaching people to cook,  inviting people to their mobile kitchen to learn the essential skills you need to make quick, easy, and healthy meals.

The mobile kitchen will be at Crystal Palace from 3^rd-16^th June; places can be booked online and children over the age of 7 are welcome with parents. Jamie’s staff will be teaching people to make pizza, fajitas, simple salads and berry ice-cream. The kitchen is purposely visiting areas where healthier eating is most needed, in other words where obesity and diet related diseases are most prevalent.

Most Londoners agree basic cooking skills are on the decline

It seems that these days, the majority of people learnt to cook from their mothers but don’t make the effort to cook for themselves. A nationwide survey carried out by Hotpoint has revealed that basic cooking skills are in decline in the UK. One in five people in the UK can’t boil an egg; more than a quarter struggle to cook rice; and almost a third are unable to cut an onion properly.

Common reasons for not being able to cook from scratch include not having time, thinking fresh ingredients are too expensive, or not knowing how to prepare fresh food.

One third of parents don’t regularly cook homemade meals for their children

The average busy Londoner cooks from scratch about three times a week, and one third of parents don’t regularly cook homemade meals for their children according to this research.

Apparently the majority of us only know how to cook six meals in total, which puts the same meals on rotation – sound familiar?

One in five families rely on takeaways, while one in ten admit they have never ever cooked from scratch.

Jamie Oliver acknowledges we’re all busy, but points out we do have to eat, and is encouraging everyone to enjoy sharing home-cooked, nutritious meals at home. He commented “I’m so excited to be working with Hotpoint, taking our cookery lessons on the road to skill up the nation and get people of all ages to have a go at making some delicious dishes – and have fun while they do it!”

Top 20 skills people in the UK are least confident in

1. Making falafels
2. Making ice cream
3. Making a guacamole/salsa
4. Making pizza dough
5. Making a curry paste
6. Making a homemade dip
7. Making bread
8. Cooking pulses correctly
9. Making dough
10. Making a marinade
11. Making pastry
12. Making a salad dressing
13. Making a tomato sauce
14. Making meatballs from scratch
15. Making a white sauce
16. Making a batter from scratch
17. Baking a sponge cake
18. Making gravy from scratch
19. Making a cheese sauce
20. Making a soup

Book places online for free at jamiesministryoffood.org

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