Peckish pupils at Dog Kennel Hill Primary School have gone on a culinary world tour from the comfort of their own classrooms.
School caterers Chartwells’ interactive ‘World Food’ workshop saw 90 children from the East Dulwich school try flavours from Italy, Mexico, India and East Asia.
It is hoped that by trying dishes from around the world, children will learn to love nutritious foods and enjoy a healthy, varied diet as they grow older.
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Tom Newman, Assistant Head Teacher at Dog Kennel Hill School said: “The children absolutely loved the workshop and enthusiasm ran throughout the classroom.
“They enjoyed exploring flavours from around the world and each ingredient went down a treat! It is important for our pupils to experience and appreciate a wide range of flavours and to be inspired by the cultural traditions of different countries and regions.
“Food is much more than a combination of ingredients, and it was great to see Chartwells deliver an experience to motivate pupils into celebrating the variety on offer all over the world.”
Year three and four pupils “visited” countries on both hemispheres, tucking into ‘Asian sensation’ sauce, Mexican style salsas, Indian raita dips, and classic Italian caprese salads.
The workshop was designed to align with the curriculum for geography, history, and food technology, and has been modelled to support the National Food Strategy by enriching learning outside the classroom with information around food and culture.
Southwark has some of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the country, with 56% of adults and 43% of children in year 6 classified as obese or overweight, according to the Southwark Healthy Weight Strategy 2016-2021.
According to Southwark Council, child obesity is more prevalent in more deprived communities, with the highest rates being in Walworth, Rotherhithe and Peckham.
The UK government recently opted not to introduce a new salt and sugar tax as part of its food strategy.
The Prime Minister said the levy was “unattractive” and feared it would impact negatively on “hard-working people”.