Richard Lochhead, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and Tom Kitchin, award-winning chef, are calling on Scottish schools to host a ‘One Planet Picnic’.
Date:
Fri, 02 Sep 2011
Source:
Eco-Schools Scotland
Eco-Schools Scotland:
Website
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead MSP, top Michelin-starred chef Tom Kitchin, and Kate Campbell, manager of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s flagship education programme Eco-Schools Scotland, have rallied together to launch a nationwide Eco-Schools Scotland initiative – the ‘One Planet Picnic’.
It is aimed at inspiring and educating young people about food issues such as the use of Scottish produce, seasonality, waste reduction and food preparation.
An ambassador for Scottish, local, seasonal produce, award-winning chef Tom Kitchin joined Richard Lochhead at Hermitage Park Primary in Edinburgh to call on nurseries, primary, secondary and ASN schools throughout the country to host their very own picnic during the fortnight of 12 -23 September - to overlap with Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight - using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Eco-Schools Scotland is an initiative which encourages schools throughout the country to improve their environmental performance and through their ‘Food and the Environment’ topic, funded by the Scottish Government, aims to inspire passion in young people to reconnect with where their food comes from, and discover locally distinct seasonal crops and dishes.
The new educational initiative will see schools showcase produce grown in school or sourced from local suppliers, and will encourage children to learn about, celebrate and enjoy quality Scottish ingredients while also thinking carefully about minimising food wrapping and other waste.
Schools which take part are each invited to design their own sustainable picnic recipe for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit Michelin-starred restaurant, The Kitchin in Leith.
The winners will experience a behind-the-scenes look at how one of Scotland’s top restaurants operates, including an interactive seasonality workshop where chef Tom will teach the winning class about the importance of eating locally-sourced produce, and the simple steps of good cooking.
Other prizes which support the ‘One Planet Picnic’s’ aim of aiding children’s learning and experience of sustainable food choices include visits to food producers, recipe books, cooking demonstrations and equipment kindly donated by organisations across Scotland.
These include Whitmuir Organic Farm in the Scottish Borders, Cream O’ Galloway in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotherbs and Stirrin’ Stuff in Dundee, Cairngorm Mountain Restaurant, Quality Meat Scotland, The Marine Stewardship Council, Zero Waste Scotland and Slow Food Scotland.
Living and breathing his 'from nature to plate' philosophy, Tom Kitchin is fanatical about working with the seasons and making the most of what Scotland’s outstanding natural larder has to offer, and this is a passion he hopes to instil in others.
He says: "I am absolutely thrilled to be supporting Eco-Schools Scotland on this exciting project.
"As a father myself, I realise the importance of inspiring a new generation of cooks and ambassadors for Scotland’s natural larder which is, without a doubt, one of the best in the world.
"I hope that through One Planet Picnic we can help young people to understand where their food comes from and encourage them to try cooking locally sourced ingredients themselves from a young age.
"I’m looking forward to welcoming the winning school to the restaurant later this year."
Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead MSP, said: "I am delighted to help launch the Eco-Schools ‘One Planet Picnic’ initiative which celebrates Scotland’s homegrown produce.
"By making use of seasonal crops grown in schools and sourced from local suppliers, I hope the fortnight of sustainable picnics will help young people to enjoy Scottish food, while learning more about where the ingredients come from.
"This complements our groundbreaking food and drink policy, which aims to give every child in Scotland the opportunity to find out more about the food they eat.
"This project, which works in conjunction with the Curriculum for Excellence, will help reconnect children and young people with the origins of Scottish food and learn more about its role in a healthy diet and how its production impacts on our environment."
Kate Campbell, manager for Eco-Schools Scotland, said: "Eco-Schools Scotland’s new Food and the Environment topic presents an opportunity for schools to develop or participate in food projects from the playground to the dining hall.
"We need our children and young people to better understand food, where it comes from and the impact it has on the environment.
"The ‘One Planet Picnic’ initiative and competition is a great way for schools to use school-grown or local produce, celebrate the harvest, and teach and learn about sustainable food choices in a very dynamic way.
"We are delighted that Tom Kitchin is involved as he will be an inspiration to many of our young people."
Participating schools are encouraged to submit their sustainable picnic recipes by post or email to ecoschools@ksbscotland.org.uk by 7 October; highlighting where their ingredients came from, how they were used and how food and packaging waste was minimised.
Visit the Eco-Schools website for more details.
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