British Food Fortnight is an established date on the school calendar. Hundreds of schools use the event as an opportunity to teach young people about food: about the diverse and delicious range of food available, the benefits of healthy eating and about the pleasures of eating quality, fresh, seasonal and regionally distinct produce.

Schools are invited to enter the British Food Fortnight ‘Cook for Life’ Challenge, sponsored by Kenwood, which is looking for the schools that incorporate cookery in their curriculum activities in the most imaginative and innovative way. Prizes will be awarded to the best six schools in each region (Scotland, North West, North East, Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South West, South East, Wales and N.Ireland) with a special prize for the overall national winner. Regional prizes include aprons, a bakeware selection, digital scales, spatulas and a smoothie maker to make healthy drinks all year round. The national winner will also receive a top of the range Kenwood Chef for pupils to create even greater masterpieces. Entry form and details of how to take part are in Taking Part ....for Schools.

WHAT IS BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT? Running from 22nd September to 7th October and now in its sixth year, British Food Fortnight is an established date on the school calendar. Hundreds of schools use the event as an opportunity to teach young people about food: about the diverse and delicious range of food available, the benefits of healthy eating and about the pleasures of eating quality, fresh, seasonal and regionally distinct produce.

WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR? The event’s initiative inviting cooks and chefs to work with schools during the Fortnight is being expanded three-fold. Organisations representing over 9,000 chefs have volunteered to take part signifying the stirrings of a major mass movement. This means that British Food Fortnight has already over-taken France’s long-running Semaine du Gout which sends chefs into French schools every October to teach children about the delights of their national cuisine. Retailers, farmers and producers are also signing up to participate.

THE BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT ‘COOK FOR LIFE’ CHALLENGE SPONSORED BY KENWOOD: Schools are invited to enter the British Food Fortnight ‘Cook for Life’ Challenge, sponsored by Kenwood, which is looking for the schools that incorporate cookery in their curriculum activities in the most imaginative and innovative way. Prizes will be awarded to the best six schools in each region (Scotland, North West, North East, Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South West, South East, Wales and N.Ireland) with a special prize for the overall national winner. Regional prizes include aprons, a bakeware selection, digital scales, spatulas and a smoothie maker to make healthy drinks all year round. The national winner will also receive a top of the range Kenwood Chef for pupils to create even greater masterpieces. Entry form and details of how to take part are on this website.

WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE? All the event’s school resources have been updated for 2007. Download from the event’s website new editions of:

• ‘Putting the Ooo back into food: A Resource Pack for Schools’ - ideas for food-related activities for all curriculum subjects.
• ‘Putting the Ooo back into food: A Guide to including Cookery within the National Curriculum’ - cookery lessons and activities for early years, primary and secondary children.
  A six-page guide to taking part that includes examples of how schools participated last year and details of how to take part in the British Food Fortnight ‘Cook for Life’ Challenge, sponsored by Kenwood, is also available from the Event Office Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Tel: 020 7840 9292 or download from www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk.

WHO IS BEHIND IT? British Food Fortnight is sponsored by Nationwide, Budgens and ARAMARK and features the British Food Fortnight ‘Cook for Life’ Challenge sponsored by Kenwood. It is supported by over 45 organisations led by 3663, Brakes, Compass Group, Country Markets, Guild of Q Butchers, Mitchells & Butlers, National Farmers’ Union, National Trust, Punch Taverns, Sodexho, Tenant Farmers Association and VisitBritain.

WHY SHOULD SCHOOLS TAKE PART? “9,000 chefs have been sent information about working with schools so the chances are there is someone willing and eager to help all participating schools teach young people how to cook during British Food Fortnight. This must be the biggest volunteer movement educating young people about food,” explains Alexia Robinson, organiser of the event.

“The Government has tasked schools with offering cookery activities from 2008 so what better way to prepare for this than inviting a chef into your school during British Food Fortnight. Schools can even win top of the range Kenwood cooking equipment to enable future lessons by entering the event’s school competition.”

WHERE CAN WE FIND OUT MORE? For information on British Food Fortnight, contact Alexia Robinson or Jennifer Meakin.
T: 020 7840 9292. E: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
W: www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk.

Please use this link to download the Notes for Editors - PDF format