With the help of Size of Wales, Monmouthshire County Council, The Co op Foundation, and the ‘Cookalong Clwb’, pupils from five schools in Monmouthshire have taken matters into their own hands to redesign a popular school dinner that is healthy, tasty and no longer linked to the destruction of tropical forests.
Hosted by Kate Humble, you are invited to hear their story, taste their delicious korma creations and enjoy their creative pitches to ‘Give Chickpeas a Chance’ and reimagine what school dinners can be – one school meal at a time!
We will also be joined by MasterChef Winner, James Nathan, to review their dishes and pass his expert judgment.
This event is supported by the Soil Association.
Size of Wales has been working with students from the five schools in Monmouthshire to become the first Deforestation Free Champion School in Wales:
Size of Wales has been working with students from the five schools in Monmouthshire to become the first Deforestation Free Champion School in Wales. In order to obtain this award, pupils have learnt about the causes of deforestation and how this is linked to products we import into Wales, mainly via the food that we eat on a daily basis. They have also learnt about actions that can be taken to become deforestation free and brought about change in their school or wider community. For example, they have carried out audits of their school menu and engaged with Monmouthshire County Council, Monmouthshire Food Partnership, businesses such as Castell Howell and the public to join their campaign for Monmouthshire to become the first Deforestation Free County Council in Wales. This is an incredible achievement and provides inspiration to young people everywhere that change is possible and voices can be heard but most importantly the value of collaboration. As part of this project students have taken a popular dish on the school menu, a chicken korma and redesigned it to be deforestation free. The children chose this dish because they realised that chicken is often fed on soy – a commodity that has a high risk of causing deforestation in countries in South America.
Working in partnership with the ‘Cookalong Clwb’ students examined the potential for organic chicken to replace the chicken in the recipe. Choosing foods from organic production ensures that no tropical forests are impacted. When this proved difficult owing to local supply issues, they explored replacing the chicken with beans and pulses of their own design, challenging themselves to explore new tastes and ingredients. Their korma has been taking classrooms by storm and so far over 100 students have had a go at redesigning and cooking their version of the korma and the dish is receiving rave reviews. It is possible that, working in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council, they will see their redesigned version appear on the menu. They are now sharing their incredible ‘food citizenship’ story, which is pushing the boundaries of and reimagining what school dinners can be – one school meal at a time!
