The CFFET has for many years received support from Waitrose in the form of sponsorship and assistance with the running for the very popular Kids Kitchen held during the Christchurch Food Festival. Waitrose Partners have provided the food for the workshops and also helped with the running of the sessions.
This year the CFFET is proud to be working with Diane Thomas the recently appointed healthy eating specialist from the Christchurch Store. Mary Reader who organises the schools work on behalf of the Trust says “ Di has been a great asset to us this year with the work that we are carrying out in our primary schools. We are running ten days and having her with us has enabled us to have extra support in our teaching as well as keeping us up to date with new foods which are becoming available, especially with the rise of veganism. We have been very concerned to hear about the limited diet of many of the local children and we do our best to show them how they can include their five a day into normal meals and introduce them to foods that they thought they didn’t like.”
Di Thomas goes on to say “working with the Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust has enabled me to put my fantastic training into practice in a new way. Healthy eating is brought to life when children are able to get involved, cook and taste the wonderful ingredients bought to these sessions. I am able to engage much more with these groups that with just a presentation style because the Trust transforms a class room or school hall into a real-life kitchen. It’s so rewarding to see the students cook and taste new foods and find they enjoy foods which will help them achieve a healthy diet. Meeting the children gives them and their families confidence to have a chat with me when they see me in store so the Healthy Eating discussion continues.”
For more information about Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust please see our website. www.cffet.org.uk
