The role of cooking skills in creating resilient communities 

The Coronavirus pandemic has put added pressure on the existing food poverty in the UK. A small social enterprise in Bristol has recognised the risk which disadvantaged families in the community are facing. 

Communities taking action

Ordinarily, Square Food Foundation delivers several different cookery and food poverty projects in the BS4 community. The success of these projects is dependent on hands-on cooking with children, families, teachers, and other members of the community. Being able to cook a meal using individual ingredients is a skill which many people take for granted and equally, which many do not have. Square Food is acutely aware of this inequality, and their projects aim to facilitate a meaningful cooking experience and share skills with others. They do this so that everyone has the opportunity to feel confident cooking healthy and nutritious meals from scratch, for themselves and for others. 

While face-to-face projects are on pause, Square Food have adapted their activities to continue to meet the needs of their service users. Particularly with one of it’s partnerships with a local school where children rely on free school meals. They have repurposed their teaching kitchen to provide up to 240 home-cooked meals each week for families to enjoy. 

In an effort to continue to allow families to cook together, they are also providing 130 of their own DIY recipe meal kits each week. These include ingredients, a recipe sheet and recorded video instructions for the young home chefs (with adult supervision) to follow. Dedicated volunteers in the kitchen and the many individual donations from members of the community is reflective of the public’s shared values.

Cooking is more than just food

Cooking a meal with and for others is not simply about the nutritional benefit of eating whole foods. This practical process has the power of sharing lifelong skills, and a creative and personal experience with others. 

Although it may seem a small deed, when a parent or carer cooks with their child, they encourage invaluable confidence and self-efficacy. Equipped with these skills, they are then in a better position to take control of their health. Cooking and sharing a meal together nurtures relationships and sitting down at a table with others provides a space for much needed conversation in the age of technology. Alongside the psychological and social impact of cooking, there is also a financial and environmental benefit. Individuals are better prepared to use foods more efficiently, produce less food waste and can provide cost effective meals for the family. Communities will in turn profit from a more sustainable waste and agricultural environment, and may have less to spend on food related disease. With many pressures brought on by Coronavirus and food insecurity in the UK, it is important to remember the small deeds which we can do to encourage large-scale change. We all have the power to influence positive sustainable change within a family, community and nation. 

There are many initiatives like this, and as always (but especially now), we need to continue to support them so that we have a strong network of healthy, happy and resilient communities across the UK. 

Written by Megan Mehnert (Dietetic Student)

For more information go to http://www.squarefoodfoundation.co.uk