Kool Kitchen
Friendship, new skills and a bowl of fabulous food are on offer from Monday November 25 at the Kool Kitchen in Bridgetown. And it’s all free.
The course is for men of any age who want to learn the basics. Priority for the eight places will be given to unemployed or low income men from the town. The Man Eater kitchen is at St John’s Church from 6.30 pm and runs weekly until December 23 – just in time to sharpen the carving knife for Christmas.
The tutor is Jonathan Elliott, who is a trustee at Bridgetown Alive.
His interest in cooking healthy food with fresh ingredients began years ago when he got a job in a nursery. “The children were being given frozen foods so I started cooking from scratch and all veggie and the kids didn’t notice. I call it the veggie lasagne effect ….it’s so good they don’t want to go back to ready meals”
With so much emphasis now being put on avoiding ultra processed foods, the Kool Kitchen will show how simple it can be to rustle up a meal using everyday supermarket ingredients.
“I think lots of the men coming can cook something, but it’s also a chance to get out of the house. And while top chefs are largely men, we still expect women to do most of the family cooking.”
The first evening will be spaghetti bolognese and focaccia.
“Everyone will learn how to chop an onion, then prepare the rest, so all the prep is shared and the cooking, then we sit down to eat together.”
He is aware that while Totnes may seem prosperous, the levels of child poverty in parts of the town are above the national average. Being able to shop well and cook well saves money. And it’s so much tastier than a frozen pizza.
He hopes the Man Eater course, which is funded by Devon County Council, will encourage more men to join in other events run in Bridgetown.
To apply contact: Jonathan Elliott on 0203 488 7010 or email: jelliott@talkaction.org
This year there’s a Christmas Party at the community hall in Hope Close on December 7. Silly jumpers optional.