Jamie's Ministry of Food Cooking Course

by Susan Jackson (subscribe)

Event: 11/01/2013 - 28/03/2013

Jamie's Ministry of Food comes to the Gold Coast. The opening of the Country Paradise Parklands outside Nerang saw the ladies in the red aprons demonstrating their cooking skills throughout the day and giving out information about the cooking course on offer, scheduled for the beginning of 2013. Open to anyone, these basic cooking lessons are held at the same time each week for 5 weeks and last for 90 minutes, showing you how to cook simple, healthy and tasty meals, using fresh ingredients. The Food Trainers will share with you, Jamie's hints, tips and shortcuts. Classes are hands on so you will cook the recipe and get to take the results home with you.

Australia has some sobering statistics when it comes to levels of obesity, diet related disease and unhealthy food choices. The aim of these cooking classes is to empower change and the way people think about food. The UK's first Ministry of Food was set up during the 2nd World War, to educate the public about feeding themselves properly with the rations available.

In Australia the Commonwealth Rationing Commission was set up in 1942. Wartime recipes were circulated in pamphlets and magazines, as well as on government sponsored radio programs. The government was concerned that the rationing would have an adverse effect on health however the opposite was true and now, ironically, the country is faced with a worse health record and a lack of cooking skills. This current food crisis is more about the lack of basic skills in families that are busy working, the easiness of convenience foods and a lack of compulsory food education on schools. It's an interesting dilemma, as the days of teaching our kids basic cooking skills slides out of modern life.

Jamie Oliver has been inspired to encourage people to start cooking for themselves again and giving them the skills and knowledge to do just that. It's all about getting back to basics and getting people back in the kitchen again. The Queensland Government is partnering with The Good Food Foundation to deliver Jamie's Ministry of Food to residents throughout Queensland. The Food Truck is a mobile, purpose built kitchen classroom to deliver practical cooking classes whose aim is to reach as many people as possible with hands on cooking classes.

Food Trainers from Jamie's Ministry of Food Australia were demonstrating at the opening of the Country Paradise Parklands outside Nerang today. My daughter was encouraged to join in, making "One Cup Pancakes with Yoghurt and Fresh Blueberries". She donned a Jamie red apron, assisted with the making and got to eat a serving of delicious pancakes at the end. The ladies communicated easily with their audience, providing an interesting demo and showed a genuine enthusiasm for what they were doing. The course is open to everyone over the age of 12 so what a great way to spend some time with your teenager, take your friends with or go on your own and meet some new people.


The Mobile Kitchen will be arriving on the Gold Coast on the 11th of January, 2013 and bookings can be made from the 3rd of December for Nerang and 14 January 2013 for Oxenford. To book on a course (which by the way costs a mere $5 per 90 minute lesson) click here. The first course is at the Country Paradise Parklands and the second round will be in Oxenford at the Oxenford/Cooomera Community & Youth Centre. Classes run on Tuesdays through to Fridays at: 10am – 11.30am, 1pm – 2.30pm, 4 – 5.30pm & 6.30 – 8pm, and on Saturdays the times are: 10 – 11.30am and 1 – 2.30pm. This is a joint initiative funded by the Australian Government, with support from GCCC.


So jump online and book your place. What a fun, cheap way to inspire yourself to have some fun in the kitchen.

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Why? Cooking Classes for Everyone - Jamie Oliver Style

When: 11 Jan - 17 Feb 2013, Nerang & 18 Feb - 28 March, Oxenford

Website: www.jamieoliver.com/jamies-ministry-of-food-australia

Where: Country Paradise Park, Nerang & Oxenford/Coomera Community & Youth Centre, Oxenford

Cost: $25 (ie $5 per lesson)

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