Free cooking course gives parents confidence

Social enterprise company Health Champions, in partnership with Adur and Worthing Wellbeing, is currently running a six-week course at Maybridge Children and Family Centre but other venues are in the pipeline.

Course leader Heather West said: “We have just started getting children involved. We were aiming at mums cooking with their little ones but some have come with babies, so we have adapted it a bit.

“The effect has been some of them trying new things, which is amazing. One mum said it had changed her daughter’s relationship with food.

“The recipes are all aimed at quick, low-budget meals and most can be prepared in 20 minutes.”

Emily Oliver, 37, who has been attending with her four-month-old daughter Maisie Hitchins, said: “My other half does the cooking normally but when you have got a new mouth to feed and want to feed them healthily, you want to learn.

“You find out it doesn’t take a lot of time and it is an enjoyable thing to do.”

Lou Gravett, 33, who has been attending with her four-month-old daughter Daisy, said her partner also did the cooking and it had made her lazy.

“I can’t cook if I am honest so this has given me lots of confidence,” she said.

“I am much better at being supervised and seeing what other people are doing but we have had the recipes so I have made some of them at home from scratch.”

Melissa Thompson is doing the course with two-year-old daughter Aubree.

“I thought it would be good to get her involved with cooking and trying new things,” she explained.

“I think if they make it themselves they will want to eat some.

“It has also been good getting ideas of stuff to do ourselves.”

Zoe Spicer has been cooking on the course with two-year-old daughter Meg but she also has a five-year-old who is more of a fussy eater.

She said: “Meg eats a lot of stuff but my other one doesn’t. I thought if I could learn how to do things with them, she might eat more.”

Mary Longley, 38, is expert at cooking Filipino food but wanted to learn English recipes. She is on the course with her five-month-old daughter Cophia and also has a 20-month-old.

“English food is much easier,” she said. “I loved the crumble and custard, it is just so quick, and the soup was really fulfilling. I enjoy cooking.”

Amy Saldanha said her six-month-old daughter Andie had tried lots of things for the first time, thanks to the course.

She runs a forest school at Worthing College, so has some experience of cooking, but joined the course with friends to try new things.

A five-week Cooking With Confidence course for people living in Adur launches at the Holmbush Centre, Shoreham, next Friday.

Another six-week course for parents and carers starts on Monday, September 12, at St Peter’s Church, Bownness Avenue, Sompting, 10am to midday and midday to 2pm.

There is also a six-week Cooking for Health course, open to all adults, at Worthing High School, South Farm Road, Worthing, from Wednesday, September 7, from 6pm to 8pm.

Email [email protected] or call 07810561357 to book a place.

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