Let’s Cook Together Launch

Jennie Hatton, the brilliant culinary mastermind responsible for Leighton Park’s Food Tech Department, together with our enthusiastic Assistant Head: Partnerships and Outreach, Natasha Coccia,  have come up with an initiative to bond the community together whilst lockdown 3.0 is keeping us apart.

The Let’s Cook Together project is a ten week series of scrumptious recipes which build on baking skills over successive weeks and generate plenty of platefuls of deliciousness along the way! Launched on Wednesday 13^th January with Cherry, Chocolate and Coconut Traybake, the recipes are definitely more happy than healthy, but are easy to follow and involve store cupboard ingredients so are accessible for all. “I hope it will give everyone something creative to do, give them skills they will use throughout their lives and give them an activity that will benefit the whole of their household.” said Jennie.

The first recipe was supported by a welcome video from Jennie offering an overview of the project and a few top tips on film covering subjects like oven gloves, how to set up your oven, how to line a baking tin, and suggestions for successful weighing and measuring.

In addition to sharing these with current students, staff, parents and Old Leightonians, the recipes have reached our close neighbours in Reading’s Whitley district. With the backing of Whitley Community District Association’s (WCDA) Community Development Co-Ordinator, Trisha Bennett, 26 families under her auspices have been provided with packs of equipment and ingredients by the School to enable them to enjoy the Cherry, Chocolate and Coconut Traybake with the rest of the LP community.

“We were trying to think of something that would support vulnerable families during this difficult time.” commented Jennie, “One of the things that has been reported is that people have been cooking more, especially baking.  I wanted to find a way of helping families to join in with cooking and to feel a sense of achievement.  Just giving someone food is not always enough, also just giving someone a recipe is not helpful, I wanted to fully support them so they felt that we were on their side, helping and encouraging them.”

“I am hoping that it will let them know how much we care about them.” She continued, “That they will feel supported and cared for.  I want them to know that we value them, that we are trying to bring them some joy, even from a distance.”