Top Chef from the Academy of Culinary Arts to visit Cheswick Green Primary School in Solihull

During LACA’s (Local Authority Caterers Association) National School Meals Week (NSMW) 2011 Cheswick Green Primary School, Solihull will have a visit from celebrity chef Idris Caldora (from the Academy of Culinary Arts) as part of ‘Get Creating Day’ on Wednesday 9^th November.

 During the morning the children will be learning about food from Idris whilst he does a presentation about the five food groups and how we need to eat them as part of a balanced diet.  Idris will then work with the pupils on preparing a salad as well as teaching them about using knives safely.  A similar salad will be part of the school lunch that day.

NSMW is one of the largest healthy eating promotions and it will be taking place in nearly 20,000 schools across the country between 7^th to 11^th November.  There are different themes for each day and the aim is to show how versatile and tasty food can be.  The visit to Cheswick Green Primary School has been organised with the support of the Academy of Culinary Arts Adopt-a-School programme.

Lynda Mitchell, National Chair, LACA, said “I am delighted that LACA is working very closely with the Academy of Culinary Arts and bringing in one of their Celebrity Chefs as part of Get Creating.  It is so important that we teach young people about how to prepare and taste food as well as teaching them to use knives safely”.

Miss Carol Mason, Headteacher at Cheswick Green Primary School in Solihull, commented, “I believe the children will enjoy the unique opportunity of working with Idris. It will enhance their learning about the enjoyment of food, the safe preparation of vegetables and working together as a team to make a special salad.  NSMW is a fantastic week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate School Meals. We will also download the resources and continue to use them throughout the year”.

Carrieanne Bishop, Head of Catering inSolihull, said “We have really got behind NSMW as it gives schools so many different opportunities to work with us and promote healthy food to young people.  We believe that a whole school approach to this subject makes a real difference to what young people learn about food.”

Idris Caldora, from the Academy of Culinary Arts added, “My work takes me into lots of schools across the Midlandsand I am always faced by interested young people wanting to learn more.  It is wonderful to see how their attitudes change during and by the end of the session.  Pupils are then far more likely to try new foods and so understand the healthy eating messages that will be so important in later life.”