SOMETHING smells good in the kitchen at the Eric Payne Community Centre in Alcester – and no wonder, there’s a series of special cookery classes up and running there.
The ‘Cook and Eat Your Tea’ project aims to show that preparing your own meals is not only easy but cheap, healthy and fun too.
Run through Alcester Town Council and under the watchful gaze of Anita Hallyer, chef at St Benedict’s Academy, the best bit comes right at the end, when everyone sits down together to enjoy the meal.
And it’s all free too.
“The idea is we help different groups of people cook a meal and then they sit down to eat the meal they’ve prepared,” said project leader Wendy Sherwood.
“People learn how to make a simple meal and pudding from scratch with recipes they can take with them so they can also enjoy the meal at home.”
Run in four weekly blocks from 4.30pm to 6.30pm and all socially distanced and within ‘bubbles’, themes include ‘Impress not Stress’ for teenagers and ‘Lads Night In’.
There’s also ‘Family Tea Time’ a ‘Get Nifty in the Kitchen’ block for the over 60s, and a ‘Mums and Dads and Toddlers’ session.
Then to round it all off there will be a mop up block for all those who found the classes oversubscribed.
“We’re working in partnership with Alcester Minster as well as with St Benedict’s and Anita,” said Wendy.
“We’re happy to have other volunteers involved and anyone who wants to help with the cooking, although they will need Level 2 in Food Hygiene.”
Backed by Hilliers Farm Shop at Dunnington, which is supplying the fruit and veg for free and Your Farmer which is donating the meat for free, it’s a collective enterprise to benefit the entire community.
To take part, email: [email protected] or call 01789 766084.
