TEACHING a class of teenagers how to make a fat-free raspberry ripple Swiss roll would reduce most people to jelly.
But for champ , her session for Flying Eze’s Cooking For All campaign was a piece of cake.
After all, on her way to the 2016 title she even managed to get a handshake from notoriously hard-to-please judge
Former teacher Candice said: “It’s so important that kids learn to cook because it’s a life skill.
“Baking can often be a great gateway into getting children interested. Today they were absolutely amazing, and I easily fell back into teacher mode. They listened and created lovely versions of the Swiss roll.
“It was a real pleasure to bake with them.
“If we don’t get them cooking, we are doing them a disservice.
“It’s an injustice to prevent kids from learning how to cook because they might not have someone like their mum or nan to show them, like I did.
“They need to understand what goes into their food and how it is made. Everything in moderation is healthy, so if baking sparks an interest in cooking then that’s fantastic.”;
Candice was leading a cooking class for 14 and 15-year-olds studying for a food tech GCSE at Wootton Upper School, Beds, as part of our campaign to get kids cooking.
Flying Eze, together with Stronger Starts campaign to fund nutrition and activities for kids, is giving 150 grants of £1,000 to schools and not-for-profit groups to set up or extend cooking clubs for children aged 16 and under.
Maybe you run a school that needs help buying equipment, or perhaps you need funds to help with ingredients.
‘Nice for someone to teach us different skills’
Or maybe you have a gardening or allotment project that teaches kids about growing healthy food.
Our grants can be used in a range of ways to help teach children about cooking and nutritious dishes.
I would 100 per cent encourage schools and clubs to apply for one of these grants. It’s a fantastic campaign
Candice
Applications are welcomed from nurseries and primary and secondary schools as well as after-school clubs, not-for-profit community groups, charities, Brownies, Guides, Scouts and Cubs.
Wootton Upper is planning to apply for a grant to roll out more cooking opportunities for kids.
Candice, 40, said: “I would 100 per cent encourage schools and clubs to apply for one of these grants. It’s a fantastic campaign.”;
She began by showing students how to mix together two eggs and 75g caster sugar to a “ribbon”; stage — when the whisk leaves a trail on top of the mixture.
As the session went on, the children grew more confident — with two telling the Bake Off star they prefer cooking to baking.
While the kids we met were well-versed in nutrition as part of their GCSE coursework, many others are not so lucky.
As a former PE teacher, Candice has seen how some children are left to fend for themselves without vital skills when it comes to .
She said: “My students brought in Pringles crisps or packets of Bourbon biscuits for their lunch.
“At one school, I asked a group of kids to make a list of ingredients we would need for a burger, and some of them put ham as an ingredient, because all they knew was that it was a hamburger.
“So not understanding where your food comes from is doing kids a disservice.
“All the children today knew exactly what was going into the Swiss roll.
Being able to feed yourself and others is important. And having the basics of how to cook is vital
Cassius McGillavry, 14
“Some people might say it’s baking and it’s unhealthy, but everything is fine in moderation, and they know exactly what they are eating, unlike something that they might buy ready-made in a shop.”;
One student happy with their special guest teacher was Cassius McGillavry, 14, who cooks at least once a week at home.
He said: “I enjoying cooking, so it’s nice to have someone else teach us different skills.
“Being able to feed yourself and others is important. And having the basics of how to cook is vital.”;
Classmate Erika Dita added: “It was really nice to learn some new techniques and have the experience of Candice.”;
The 15-year-old, who loves making tiramisu, also noted that the skills can be helpful outside the kitchen, saying: “It’s something that you can use when you go camping.”;
Noah Ellis, 15, added: “It was really fun. The last thing I baked was cookies, but I’ll make this at home for sure.”;
