National Adopt a School week returns with larger line-up this March
Piloted last year, the RACA’s ‘Adopt A School’ week aims to increase awareness of the importance of engaging with young people about food education and hospitality.
Throughout the week, which starts on 5 March, over 2000 children will be given lessons in where food provenance, healthy eating, food growing and preparation, bread making and front of house skills.
The line-up of companies involved has increased since last year, and includes The Ritz London, Lexington, Goodwood Estate, Cordon Bleu, Quorn, Saltyard, The Delaunay, Locanda Locatelli, and Lucknam Park.
Chefs Hywel Jones, Adam Byatt, James Golding and Giorgio Locatelli have all volunteered for the second time.
Members of the Adopt a School team also run training sessions for individuals and companies who want to get involved and give them the knowledge and support necessary to work in schools.
“There is more and more evidence that learning from an early age about food and nutrition – and its impact on us and the environment - can aid emotional and physical development and is a catalyst for cross curricula education linking with all mainstream subjects,” says Sara Jayne Stanes, chief executive of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.
“The RACA has been running Adopt a School for over 25 years because we know it makes sense and it makes a difference to the well-being and the future of many young and not so young lives”.
Founded by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts in 1990, the Adopt a School Trust is recognised as a national charity and receives no government funding.
It is now in its 28th year, and estimates that it has reached around half a million children since its inception.
