Spotlight on ... Jo Ingleby, Chef
Monday, May 18, 2015
Chef at Redcliffe Children's Centre, Bristol, and winner of the Cook of the Year spot in the 2015 BBC Food and Farming Awards
What was your reaction when you won the BBC Cook of the Year award?
I wasn't really expecting to win, as it is unusual for early years practitioners to be recognised at this level.
Why do you think teaching children to cook is important?
At Redcliffe, it is not so much teaching as learning with them. We don't follow recipes or ask the children to take turns stirring; we observe, support and listen to give them the space to experiment in their own way. Children develop confidence and a healthy interest in food and we focus mainly on vegetables, fruits and herbs.
What's the best way to do it?
Join in with children exploring and trying new foods and also find a way for them to really cook. Children learn about food in a truly multi-sensory way through smell, sight, taste, touch and sound and our approach encourages them to develop this as well as motor and cognitive skills. Linking food sessions to growing outdoors is also important.
What's the next step for you?
We hope to inspire other settings and families to see children as competent, creative cooks from as young an age as possible. We have developed an accredited Level 1 Experimental Cookery course, which gives practitioners the confidence and skills to be able to start a food project of their own and we hope to be able to deliver this nationally.
