Prestonfield Nursery has won a national competition fronted by chef Jamie Oliver.
The announcement that the nursery had scooped the Early Years Award in the first Good School Food Awards 2023 was made on BBC 1’s The One Show on Wednesday evening.
The judging panel comprised Mary Berry, Alex Jones, Joe Wicks, Demi Stokes, Seema Pankhania, George Webster, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Jamie Oliver. The award was presented to the school by CBeebies presenter George Webster on a surprise visit earlier this month.
The school has been running a Family Cooking project since February. The children who cook at the nursery were keen to involve parents and carers and so all got together to cook a hot meal with healthy, affordable ingredients. The families then took the meal home with them.
There are new recipes using new skills and of course there is a social element as everyone can get to know everyone else in the kitchen. Recipes invovel Italian, Indian and Mexican dishes with homemade bread, flatbreads, salsas and salads. There are now plans being made to “Grow our Own”with more families being involved.
The project is aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and closing the poverty gap. The scheme is also linked to “Setting the Table”, Health Scotland’s Nutritional Guidance and Food Standards for Early Years Childcare Providers in Scotland.
Jenny Hennessy, Head Teacher at Prestonfield Primary School and Nursery, said: “We’re utterly delighted to have won the Early Years Golden Spoon from the Jamie Oliver Good School Food Awards. We’re dedicated to encouraging healthy life long habits, and to have this commitment recognised fills us with pride for our school community.
“Our family cooking project is focused on bringing our learners, their families and our staff team together to share recipes, cook alongside each other and enjoy a meal and good company. The dedication of all involved has been paramount to its success. We’re looking forward to building on this achievement in the months and years to come.”
Nursery pupils who took part in the cooking project said they loved it.
Efe Ustun, five years old, said: “I tried a new meal, I did cooking and playing together.”
Sophie Wu, four years old, said: “I liked tasty meals.”
Parents joined in with their praise as well. Ebru Ustun said: “It’s a great idea to involve parents in the kids’ education. I enjoyed meeting with other parents. The staff have been amazing.” Ishraq Faraz said: I’ve enjoyed learning new recipes and healthier eating options that the whole family can enjoy. Mhairi Archibald said: “I loved all of it.”
Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s a real achievement for Prestonfield Nursery to win this national award for their cookery project. It deserves the praise it’s been getting as it really does make a difference to the lives of families.
“Sharing the joy of cooking as a child with your parents is a great idea and means they can have fun cooking a hot meal together or taking the meal home for a family tea. It also helps improves children’s health and helps families struggling financially to eat healthily.”
CBeebies George Webster said: “I loved meeting the kids, parents and brilliant staff at the nursery. They put so much hard work and dedication into this amazing project, making sure everyone got a well-balanced meal. The food was gorgeous too! They were really worthy winners in a highly contested award.”
Last night’s award is the latest in a string of accolades for school and nurseries run by the City of Edinburgh Council. Hope Cottage Nursery and James Gillespie’s High School both won at the Scottish Education Awards this month and Firrhill High School was short-listed in the TES Awards for the best secondary school in the UK.
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