COMMUNITY

The first community programme was launched in 2008, with the mission of teaching people how to cook and eat to improve their long-term health and wellbeing.
Today Jamie’s Ministry of Food is the largest community cooking programme in the UK. We work with councils, charities and other partners across the UK, Australia and beyond who deliver the programme in their local areas. Together we have reached over 100,000 people.

THE PROGRAMME

The Ministry of Food programme focuses on teaching basic kitchen and food skills in a fun and engaging way. All classes use Jamie Oliver recipes and resources, specifically developed with nutrition and balance in mind. Classes can be delivered as a progressive eight-lesson course or as one-off workshops. 

The programme uses behaviour-change techniques to encourage healthier eating habits. Independent evaluation has shown that the programme has significant positive effects on dietary behaviour, food choice and cooking.

THE IMPACT

Independent evaluation conducted by the School of Food Science & Nutrition at the University of Leeds has shown that the Ministry of Food cooking programme increases participants’ confidence and knowledge of cooking and healthy eating. Crucial to this is a sustained shift in healthier habits and an increase in participants cooking from scratch at home. After the course, people demonstrate:

  1.  Increased cooking confidence in key skill areas
  2.  Increased frequency of cooking from scratch
  3.  Increased purchasing of vegetables 
  4.  Increase in vegetable consumption by 0.5-1.5 portions per day  
  5.  Decrease in spend on takeaways by an average of £5 per week.

Other outcomes include improved mental health and management of long-term conditions and more motivation to access employment.

TRAINING

We provide a comprehensive training programme for all our partners, which supports them with everything they need to teach Ministry of Food cooking classes in their communities. 

Train The Trainer is an intensive training course that upskills people in the expertise needed to run a fun, informative, Jamie-style cooking programme. It’s a combination of practical cooking, online nutrition tutorials and kitchen skills. Those completing it will gain confidence in delivery and equip themselves with Jamie’s tips and tricks, enabling them to enthuse their communities to cook from scratch.  

Our training is accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. 

For more information, please get in touch.

OUR PARTNERS

We can all play a part in helping the nation be healthier and happier. We are extremely proud to work with our network of partners across the UK and Australia. 

  • Zest For Life (Leeds)
  • Foundation Of Light (Sunderland)
  • Inn Churches (Bradford)
  • Rotary Clubs (Colchester)
  • Parent & Family Support Services (Tower Hamlets, London)
  • Essex County Council/Essex Activate 
  • Cfine (Aberdeen)
  • Fareshare (Yorkshire)
  • Recycling Lives 
  • Barnet Council 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

By becoming a Ministry of Food delivery partner you will join a network of passionate organisations across the UK with the collective aim of supporting their local communities and improving public health. If you would like to find out more or want to become a partner, please get in touch.