A new Smart Raspberry Cookery School in Henley-On-Thames welcomed Mary Berry to its opening cookery class.
The school, located at the Christ Church Centre on Reading Road, aims to teach young children the skills needed to sustain a healthy diet by offering hands-on cookery activities. The opening sessions were the first of a twice-weekly class for two to five year-olds, and took the form of a pizza-making workshop.
17 children were supported by their parents and staff at the cookery school as they rolled dough into rectangles and covered it with tomato puree, cheese, peppers and olives to create rudimentary pizzas. After this, the class members curled the uncooked pizzas into rolls, sliced them up and took them home to be cooked.
Alicia Cronin, Founder of the Smart Raspberry Cookery School recognises the importance of teaching children when they’re young: “A lot of children are fussy eaters, have allergies or have never held a potato or carrot. We want to get in there young and inspire them to cook.”
Cronin is keen to expand the education franchise to accommodate an even wider group of children: “Until now we have been working with five and six year-olds upwards so this is the launch of classes for younger children. We want to make it a fun session. The children can do things like chopping up a pepper and see their peers doing it too.”
“I think it is a brilliant idea.” said cooking guru, Mary Berry. “I started with my grandchildren when they were very young. It’s good to get children to know where food comes from, to taste it and have a little go at everything. It gives them confidence.”
Berry continued, “These lessons are very well constructed, with just the right amount of preparation. Some of the children are only two but they can chop, roll out, mix and sprinkle. The children were all focused and they will be very proud of what they have done.”
Alice Tuffery, Point Franchise ©
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