News / Square Food Foundation
How To Be A Chef goes virtual during lockdown
With the announcement of a third lockdown in England, the Square Food Foundation’s How To Be A Chef course has moved online.
The 12-week course, which is run in partnership with Bristol24/7, was due to start in early 2021, but the latest lockdown has changed plans.
Supporting young people to gain experience in the food and drink industry and helping them into future employment, the had been paused for most of 2020.
While the current cohort not being able to start their course in a face-to-face setting, the Square Food Foundation is hosting interim cooking sessions with the young people online.
Holding the first virtual session on Wednesday, January 6, the plan is to continue teaching the cohort virtually throughout lockdown.
“We all feel totally gutted for them that it’s been postponed again, so we wanted to give the young people something regular to look forward to,” says Eloise Morton, who works for the charity. “We ran a very successful first session which everyone attended and responded really well to.”
In the past, the young chefs have gained experience in kitchens across the city. Photo: Bristol24/7
The current online sessions are an interim to the in-person course, with Eloise saying: “These online session are definitely not a replacement for How To Be A Chef, and once we are out of lockdown we’ll start the 12-week programme in earnest with them all.”
Through the course, trainees will learn the basics of cooking as well as some advanced techniques and recipes.
There will also be a range of workshops led by experts in food-related issues, cookery demonstrations and guest chefs.
Young people will also receive BTEC Level 2 qualification and a Level 2 Food & Hygiene certificate upon course competition.
The last cohort of young chefs. Photo: Ellie Pipe
Following the first online session, the course leaders received some excellent feedback from families of the students.
“We returned home on Wednesday to a plateful of delicious chocolate chip biscuits, and later some excellent flatbreads,” said one parent. “I was very impressed as sometimes H has struggled with putting things into action independently.
“H had a wonderful time and later that evening made a crumble for us too! Thank you so much for the Zoom session.”
Main photo: Bristol24/7
Read more: How To Be A Chef to return in 2021
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