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Press Release

James Martin calls for more skills support for young people

18 October 2011

Celebrity chef James Martin has launched a high-profile campaign to support young people in learning how to cook basic recipes.

It follows research by EBLEX that showed nearly 60 per cent of Britain's 18 to 25-year-olds leave home without being able to cook common dishes like Spaghetti Bolognese, threatening future demand for beef, lamb and other proteins.

The 5by25 campaign, was launched with a debate in London this week and saw James issuing a call to arms to help bolster long-term demand for quality beef and lamb. It calls for young people to be given the support to master at least five simple recipe dishes by the age of 25 (the time by which most have left home).

The debate, co-hosted with leading think tank ResPublica, which has an ongoing programme of work surrounding skills and citizenship, was attended by a number of groups and bodies who pledged their support for the campaign, including the National Union of Students (NUS), The Prince's Trust and MumsNet.

The specially-commissioned EBLEX research revealed that while the majority of young people claimed they could cook, when tested on popular recipes such as Spaghetti Bolognese, curry and even the humble Yorkshire Pudding, the majority simply couldn't. Only 6% of this age group could make all three of these recipes.

Jane Ritchie-Smith, marketing manager for EBLEX said: "Our research highlights a major learning and skills gap, with young people lacking the confidence to buy fresh food, and prepare and cook simple dishes. Without these basic skills, young people lose the choice to cook and the understanding of what is in their foods. They will increasingly become the ‘heat and eat' generation, which could mean that many of the much-loved family meals such as roast dinners and Spaghetti Bolognese die out."

For more information, visit www.5by25.com In addition to recipes, it contains a range of support to help build general cooking skills amongst young people. These include time management, food buying and knife skills.



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