Published: Tuesday, 11th July 2023
Hundreds of people have now benefited from free Food for Thought sessions, organised by Lily, to help west Norfolk residents cook healthy and nutritional food on a budget.
Lily, a service owned and managed by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, organised a 10 week interactive course held at St Faith’s Community Hub, Gayton Road in King’s Lynn. The final meeting was held on Thursday 6 July.
Betsy Stainsby, Marketing Assistant at Lily, said:
“The sessions have grown in popularity since we introduced them in North Lynn last year, having been run in South Lynn, the centre of town and now Gaywood, we are looking in to introducing them elsewhere in west Norfolk. Not only do people get some great cooking advice from a professional Chef, they get to taste the amazing food cooked by him, have recipes and advice to take home and also get to meet new people and socialise.”
The Food for Thought courses held in Gaywood, along with earlier ones in the town and South Lynn were planned and cooked by Alex Harrison, Chef and Catering Lecturer at the College of West Anglia, who said:
“I’ve showcased a lot of frozen fruit and veg this time. It’s cheaper, fresher, you can use what you want and then put the rest back into the freezer. It reduces food waste and saves money as it can be used for many meals.
“The meal for our last day included frozen carrots, frozen sweetcorn, all-purpose potatoes which can be a good replacement for new potatoes, and gammon steaks with cauliflower cheese. In total this meal has cost 68p per person in ingredients. The trifle for dessert includes frozen fruit and works out to be 29p per person.
“We had a lady who came a few weeks back and we made classic shepherd’s pie, her children never eat vegetables, I hid peas and sweetcorn in the mix and showed her how to do a nice mashed potato. She came back and said her children had three helpings of it.
“It’s been about building people’s confidence, getting them in the kitchen, eating well but on a budget and realising that it’s straightforward to do it. The guys here have cooked more and more and tried new things over this 10-week period which has been fantastic.”
Cllr Alexandra Kemp, Cabinet member for People and Communities, added:
“Mouth-watering, healthy and money-saving recipes, served up in a family-friendly event, makes Food for Thought a success we need to continue.
“Food for Thought has positive health benefits. I shed over a stone last year, after taking on board healthy-eating tips from Food for Thought events I went to.”
For more information on future sessions please visit asklily.org.uk.
Hear more of what Alex Harrison, Chef and Catering Lecturer at the College of West Anglia, had to say while cooking at the final session below.