Earlier this term, Anu (Year 9) helped her community by delivering a local chef service.
In March, her neighbours had to isolate indoors due to the coronavirus and, coupled with the lack of a kitchen due to renovations, struggled to prepare daily meals. Anu offered to cook a dish as and when they needed one and set off making meals such as shepherds pie, risotto and pasta sauce.
She then expanded her cooking offer to those on the street in need of meals for various reasons, for example, elderly neighbours, those without cooking skill/experience and those in need of a weekly ‘highlight’.
Each week, Anu set up a menu taking into account how much ingredients cost, what was going to be available given the shops were rather bare, and what people might wish to eat, taking into account dietary requirements such as vegetarianism.
A typical weekly menu
The project was extremely successful, with Anu cooking risottos, fish and chips, shepherds pie and adding new dishes such as coconut fish curry, lamb curry, dhal, and ‘nibbles’ – samosas! Anu kept meals for two at £15, which had to include the ingredients and her time (at a flat rate of £5). In the process, she learnt about the cost of food ingredients – which was a shock at times!
The street was happy and spare plates were given to an elderly man down the road who disliked shop-bought products, but couldn’t afford to pay.
Well done Anu for supporting her local community at a challenging time.
One of Anu's many dishes!