This week celebrity chef Gennaro Contaldo surprised a group of locals at a community cooking lesson in Crystal Palace.

The lesson took place at the Hotpoint Teaching Kitchen on Monday, created in partnership with the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and situated in the grounds of Crystal Palace F.C. The mobile kitchen is in Crystal Palace until Friday 16th June and is offering free cooking lessons to local London families.

Gennaro Contaldo is the Italian legend who taught Jamie Oliver all he knows about Italian cooking and is one of the UK’s best-loved chefs. He delighted the cooking class by showing up and demonstrating how to cook Salmon Teriyaki, soba noodles and cucumber ribbon salad. The Mayor of Bromley, Councillor Kathy Bance MBE and Crystal Palace Councillor, Angela Wilkins were among those being taught.

Following its residency in Crystal Palace, the truck will travel across the UK over summer to cities including Bristol, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Liverpool. The Hotpoint Teaching Kitchen will encourage locals to cook more from scratch, after new research revealed 1 in 5 Brits rely on takeaways instead of home cooking, 1 in 5 can’t boil an egg, 1 in 3 can’t dice an onion and almost one third of parents do not prepare regular home-cooked meals for their kids; blaming lack of time (42%), a lack of confidence (19%) and recipes being too difficult and complex (14%).

Free classes are being taught all week and can be booked in advance at www.jamiesministryoffood.org/hotpoint-teaching-kitchen/

Submitted by Abbie Uzzell