Hale School has some budding young chefs in its midst with the introduction of a range of food and cooking programmes that are being gobbled up by the boys.
There has been a burgeoning interest in food and cooking in recent years and with some very talented cooks on staff, Hale is creating an enticing menu of co-curricular opportunities for interested students.
One example is the new ‘Hale ChefZ2B’ after-school cooking programme for Year 8 students. Hale ChefZ2B commenced in Term 2 and has been held after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In fact, the interest has been so high that more sessions are planned in Term 3 to allow other boys to be involved.
The classes are run by HaSS teacher and devoted home cook Lisa Woodyard – who was previously in the running to be a contestant on Masterchef – alongside the School’s Executive Chef, Herb Faust, an Iron Chef winner. The boys are fortunate indeed to have such talented and passionate instructors!
The four-week course has the boys practising the skills of slicing, chopping and food preparation, along with some basic kitchen safety.
“While cooking is a basic life skill, we know it is also about being comfortable enough in the kitchen to follow a recipe or pull a few ingredients together to create a simple meal,” Ms Woodyard said. “Hale School has recognised that there is a need for teaching food science. Cooking with young men provides an opportunity to educate them in nutrition literacy, such as why raw ingredients are so important and ways to make smarter food choices. While the afternoons are educational, they are also hectic, but it is important for a hungry adolescent boy to learn how to cook!”
A variety of other opportunities are offered across the School to encourage an interest in food and nutrition, including:
- Gardening Clubs in both the Junior School and the Senior School. Both clubs have their own edible gardens and use their fresh produce to make simple dishes, such as soup and pickled vegetables.
- Cooking as an option for Year 9 ArtsFest, a two-day arts immersion programme in Term 3.
- Cooking as an option for Year 12 short workshops.
- Cooking from home to donate meals for the homeless.
