- Dame Prue Leith, Delia Smith and Stanley Tucci are spearheading a campaign for children to receive regular practical cookery lessons from their first days in primary school.
- The trio brought their impassioned plea to Parliament, arguing that hands-on cookery is crucial for developing pupils’ culinary abilities, essential life skills and a foundational understanding of healthy eating.
- This push comes amid concerns that the removal of dedicated cooking facilities from schools has relegated practical cookery to an infrequent activity.
- Research by Leiths found that three-quarters of primary pupils do not receive regular cookery lessons, despite government guidance on the health benefits of a diet based on natural, scratch-cooked ingredients.
- A government spokesman responded by stating that children are already taught about healthy eating in various subjects and highlighted initiatives such as free school meals and breakfast clubs.
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