This week our Eagle and Nightingale Class had the wonderful opportunity to take part in the We Can Cook programme delivered by School Food Matters and what an amazing experience it has been! The children were fully immersed in hands-on cooking, discovering new flavours, practising real kitchen skills, and building confidence every step of the way.

On the first day, the children explored fruits and vegetables from around the world using all five senses. They were excited to touch, smell, and taste a variety of fresh produce, some familiar, some completely new! After learning safe chopping techniques, they cut the vegetables into long sticks and wrapped them in rice paper to create their own mini “sushi” rolls. The highlight was dipping their colourful creations into soy sauce and with pride, trying something they had made themselves.

On the second day, the children developed their knife skills, learning how to chop safely and confidently under careful guidance. They then put their new skills to work by creating three delicious types of hummus, each with its own flavour and colour. Once the dips were ready, the children enjoyed them with soft wraps, adding fresh salad on top to make a healthy, colourful and nutritious snack. Our cookery room was full of excitement as they tasted their own creations and discovered new favourite flavours!

On the third day, Sharon and Fiona worked alongside the children to help them create the most delicious pasta sauces and the results were fantastic! The class began by making a simple tomato base, then each group transformed it using different spices and ingredients inspired by Jamaican, Italian, and Mexican flavours. After tasting all three versions, the children voted for their favourite… and Jamaican and Italian tied for first place! Please remind your child to hand you their recipe sheets. Along with their cooking certificate, they can take these home. It would be wonderful to try making one of the sauces together and let them share all the facts and skills they’ve learned this week.