A custom-built Mobile Teaching Kitchen will hit the road this summer to arm the nation with essential cooking skills, after recent research has revealed almost one in five UK adults rely on a diet of takeaways and convenience food due to lack of knowledge in the kitchen1; with one in ten Brits admitting they never cook from scratch1.
Hotpoint and Jamie Oliver want to help people discover that cooking from scratch is fun, quick and good for all the family. The Hotpoint Mobile Teaching Kitchen will equip communities with essential skills and share Jamie’s clever recipes for quick, healthy, tasty meals.
The Hotpoint Mobile Teaching Kitchen will offer free cooking lessons to thousands of families in six locations across the UK; South London, Bristol, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Liverpool. The sixth location will be confirmed after a nationwide competition2.
Teachers from the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation will run daily classes from the truck, using Hotpoint cooking appliances, and working with local community partners in each location. The truck will be in each community for a week, and will be open to people of any age. There will also be family classes, to encourage parents to cook with their children. Hotpoint and Jamie’s staff are aiming to train members of local communities in Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food programme, to ensure the initiative leaves a legacy. Local residents can book classes in advance at www.jamiesministryoffood.org/hotpoint-teaching-kitchen.
A nationwide survey carried out by Hotpoint reveals basic cooking skills are in decline in the UK, with 67 per cent of Brits agreeing1. Seven in ten think the rise of takeaways and convenience foods means cooking knowledge is no longer as important1, with over half of Brits blaming a lack of cooking lessons in schools and 67 per cent blame the fact that recipes are no longer passed down through generations1.
It appears the majority of Brits are stumped when it comes to whipping up a meal; one in five can’t boil an egg, more than a quarter struggle to cook rice and almost a third say they are unable to cut an onion correctly1.
Furthermore, almost one third of parents say they do not prepare home-cooked meals for their children on a regular basis – blaming a lack of time (42 per cent), a lack of confidence (19 per cent) and recipes being too difficult and complex (14 per cent)1.
Jamie Oliver commented: “We’re all busy, but let’s face it we’ve got to eat, and if we can take care of the ones we love by sharing home-cooked, nutritious fare, that’s always going to be a bonus. That’s why I’m so excited to be working with Hotpoint, taking our cookery lessons on the road to skill up the nation and get people of all ages to have a go at making some delicious dishes – and have fun while they do it!”
Jennifer Taylor, Senior Brand Manager, Hotpoint, says: “After we discovered the gap in the nation’s cooking skills, we decided to take action to bring families together around the dinner table over a home-cooked meal. The kitchen is often thought of as the heart of the home, so we want to get the UK spending more time there – cooking for the people they care about the most. We’re thrilled to have Jamie Oliver on board to help us get the nation cooking together.
“We want to arm the nation with the skills they need to feel confident in the kitchen. With Hotpoint’s easy-to-use appliances, and Jamie’s enthusiasm and talent, we’re taking our lessons to the road to teach communities all over the country. We are on a mission to change the way UK households view their time in the kitchen for good.”
Myles Bremner, Jamie Oliver Food Foundation commented: “We are excited to be taking our cookery classes around the country, to tackle the nationwide cooking confidence problem the research has revealed. Leaving a legacy of trained staff in each truck location will continue the Hotpoint and Jamie Oliver Food Foundation commitment to inspire communities to fall in love with cooking and encourage healthier habits to be passed through families.”
Top 20 skills Brits feel the least confident about attempting1:
- Making falafels
- Making ice cream
- Making a guacamole/salsa
- Making pizza dough
- Making a curry paste
- Making a homemade dip
- Making bread
- Cooking pulses correctly
- Making dough
10. Making a marinade
11. Making pastry
12. Making a salad dressing
13. Making a tomato sauce
14. Making meatballs from scratch
15. Making a white sauce
16. Making a batter from scratch
17. Baking a sponge cake
18. Making gravy from scratch
19. Making a cheese sauce
20. Making a soup
To find out more about the partnership, visit www.jamiesministryoffood.org/hotpoint-teaching-kitchen.
For more information on the full range of Hotpoint appliances, please contact your account manager or visit the website at www.hotpoint.co.uk.
Ends
Image captions:
The custom-built Hotpoint Mobile Teaching Kitchen, in partnership with Jamie Oliver and his Food Foundation, will hit the road this summer to arm the nation with essential cooking skills
Notes for editor:
1 Hotpoint surveyed 2,000 UK adults about their cooking habits with OnePoll in May 2017
2 The final truck location will be won by a UK town from entries submitted using #cookforchange on social media. Entrants are encouraged to nominate a local community group to win a visit, such as a local school, community centre, scouts group or even your neighbours. Entrants are required to send a picture of the group, along with their name and which town they are from to be in with a chance to win.
About Hotpoint:
Hotpoint is part of Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited. A Hotpoint appliance is sold every 19 seconds in the UK and on average 2 of every 3 UK homes have a Hotpoint appliance installed. Voted the UK’s most trusted kitchen appliance brand by Readers’ Digest for 11 consecutive years, the brand is recognised as a ‘Consumer Superbrand’. Hotpoint, founded in 1911, has a history of trusted innovation recognised for over 100 years. Delivering outstanding results for generations of UK consumers through technology and style are the cornerstones of Hotpoint’s philosophy. Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited is the only white goods manufacturer to operate its own independent service and logistics operations.
About Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited:
Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited is managed by Whirlpool EMEA, part of Whirlpool Corporation, the global leader in manufacturing and marketing of home appliances. In 2016, Whirlpool Corporation generated annual revenue of $21 billion in annual sales, employs over 93,000 people with 70 centres of manufacturing and technology research worldwide. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Scholtès, Hotpoint, Indesit, and other big-name brands in over 170 countries. Whirlpool Corp.’s European Operations Centres are located in Pero (MI), Italy.
Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited fully supports the AMDEA safety initiative, Register My Appliance, and is committed to encouraging householders to register their appliances: www.registermyappliance.org.uk
About Whirlpool Corporation:
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 93,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2016. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit, Hotpoint and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. In Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) it has approximately 24,000 employees, a sales presence in more than 30 countries and manufacturing sites in eight countries. Whirlpool EMEA is an operating segment of Whirlpool Corporation. Whirlpool Corp.’s European Operations Centers are located in Pero (MI), Italy. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com or find us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook.
About The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation:
Access to good, fresh, real food and the basic skills to cook it has the power to transform lives, and that is what the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation is all about. From our local food education programmes, to our international campaigns that influence policy on key issues, we aim to revolutionise the way people feed themselves, and their families.
Jamie’s Ministry of Food has permanent teaching centres across the UK, Australia and America, empowering people to cook from scratch. The programme also provides outreach lessons, and course material for external partners to teach essential cookery skills in schools, communities, organisations and businesses.
For further press information and images please contact:
Lauren at jmm PR
Tel: 01536 414555
Email: lauren@jmmpr.co.uk
31st May 2017
