Over the next year, 50 groups of student chefs from around the UK to Billingsgate Market for their own special seafood training day. The groups of college students will then return to their communities to create their own education event with local school children.
To celebrate the launch, Seafish has brought together students chefs from Henley College Coventry and Fishmonger Gary Hooper to bring ‘tastes of the sea’ to one of the most landlocked places in the UK – Finham Primary School in Coventry. The kids will be getting a special seafood demonstration on the variety of seafood from master fishmonger Gary, and hands-on cooking lessons from the student chefs.
The survey has been released in conjunction with the launch of a student chef-led pilot education programme, which aims to teach children about the variety of seafood available and how it gets from the ocean to our tables. It is hoped that the initiative will encourage children to eat a greater variety of fish more often, as well as inspire the Chefs of tomorrow.
The pilot education programme, which aims to expand the culinary horizons of young chefs and teach children about the variety of seafood available, is being launched to help increase the consumption of fish.
It is hoped that the initiative will encourage children to eat a greater variety of fish more often, as well as inspire the chefs of tomorrow to develop their repertoire.
The programme will see the young chefs from colleges around the UK to the market to learn about every aspect of seafood – from sourcing and handling, to fish-mongering and cooking. Using their inspiration from the day, each college will then go back to their community and create their own unique seafood education event with local schools.
It is supported by research unveiled by Seafish, the industry authority on seafood, which has shown total levels of fish consumed per week in the UK may require some improvement.
Currently, only 24.3% of seven to 11-year-olds eat the recommended minimum of two pieces of fish per week.
Mel Groundsell, Corporate Relations Director at Seafish, is eager to encourage both parents and kids to become more adventurous with their fish consumption habits.
She is also aware more needs to be done to improve the levels of consumption of fish per week, and hopes the education programme launch will help to achieve this.
Mel said: “The health benefits of eating more fish are well-documented - and each type of fish provides a different culinary experience and a unique flavour. We want to do as much as possible to make sure people of all ages eat more fish more often.
“Through our education programme we’re celebrating and exploring the variety of fish available and inspiring the next generation of chefs to broaden their culinary horizons and help expand family tea time menus.”
