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Teach all children to cook in schools, says Women's Institute - Telegraph

Following the horse meat scandal In ready meals there seems to be a lack of general basic cooking skills In schools.

I have a few pals who work In various supermarkets who tell me they find It a great shame to see young adults going through the check-outs with a weeks supply of ready meals for their families full of E numbers and salt.

I will be entirely eternally grateful to my Mother who taught me to cook, clean and sew from a very young age along with the ability to turn left-overs Into meals from nothing.

Is It laziness that has allowed manufacturers to make such massive profits In processed food, trends or lack of knowledge?

Lack of time I think, the days when one of the parents was at home to make the meals is long over, nowadays it tends to be both work and time seems short. Plus there is the illusion that convenience foods are cheaper.

They have taken Home Economics out of the curriculum, very few classes remain even at the high school level here.

I learned more from my Mum than from cookery and sewing classes at school.

Nowadays, though, I rarely cook just for myself...I'm very much a ready meal person...from M and S.

oscar;1420446 wrote: Teach all children to cook in schools, says Women's Institute - Telegraph

Following the horse meat scandal In ready meals there seems to be a lack of general basic cooking skills In schools.

I have a few pals who work In various supermarkets who tell me they find It a great shame to see young adults going through the check-outs with a weeks supply of ready meals for their families full of E numbers and salt.

I will be entirely eternally grateful to my Mother who taught me to cook, clean and sew from a very young age along with the ability to turn left-overs Into meals from nothing.

Is It laziness that has allowed manufacturers to make such massive profits In processed food, trends or lack of knowledge?


Of course all children should be taught Home Economics at school. At any point in anyone's life that might find themselves in a position where they have to look after themselves (and possibly have dependants as well). To be in a position where you do not know how to would be criminal.

Throughout my life I have been thankful that I was taught the basics at school with enough background to learn as I go.

gmc;1420450 wrote: Lack of time I think, the days when one of the parents was at home to make the meals is long over, nowadays it tends to be both work and time seems short. Plus there is the illusion that convenience foods are cheaper.


They're happy to wait an hour for the take away curry to arrive costing twenty quid when they could easily cook up a meal in ten minutes costing a fiver. A delusion if ever I saw one.

The other laugh is the burger for less than a pound - what on Earth do they imagine is in it given that almost all of the cost is staffing and premises.

For American members, M & S Is where posh people shop.



http://www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-Sp ... B0080E41LM

theia;1420454 wrote: I learned more from my Mum than from cookery and sewing classes at school.

Nowadays, though, I rarely cook just for myself...I'm very much a ready meal person...from M and S.


Sorry, I'm very much a real food person - I like to know what goes into the meals I eat

Bryn Mawr;1420458 wrote: They're happy to wait an hour for the take away curry to arrive costing twenty quid when they could easily cook up a meal in ten minutes costing a fiver. A delusion if ever I saw one.

The other laugh is the burger for less than a pound - what on Earth do they imagine is in it given that almost all of the cost is staffing and premises. I agree... I know my husband Is happy to wait 2 hours If need be In order to have a fresh made meal with fresh Veg and meat. I certainly would rather wait and take the trouble to eat a plate of what I want to eat.

One of my most prized possessions Is my Mothers old Iron meat mincer that I use all the time

Not all meals have to take ages to prepare. Fresh fish can be grilled In minutes with saute potatoes. Meat cuts can be done In a pressure cooker or slow pot while you're out. Rice and pasta dishes can be done In 20 minutes also. But, If you don't have the basic knowledge, It's a struggle.

That's funny. When I lived amongst you guys I thought Marks & Spencer was for the lower class crowd. Mmmm. Wonder why I thought that. Yes, I thought it was second class.

AnneBoleyn;1420462 wrote: That's funny. When I lived amongst you guys I thought Marks & Spencer was for the lower class crowd. Mmmm. Wonder why I thought that. Yes, I thought it was second class.


Lidle Is the lowest class.... I don't shop anywhere but Sainsbury.

M&S not posh like the old Harrods, as I recall.

AnneBoleyn;1420464 wrote: M&S not posh like the old Harrods, as I recall.


Fortnum and Masons Please

I think I may be an M and S junkie. I would be distraught if anything untoward was found in its ready meals.



(Where's the little box gone where you can say why you edited? Anyway, my reason is that I got up to make a cup of tea and realised I meant to say junkie, not groupie)

Bryn Mawr;1420465 wrote: Fortnum and Masons Please


Is that just food? When I was there, decades ago, I remember M&S as a cheaper type clothing store & Harrods the most snobbish department store. Did M&S always have food too? or is that more recent.

I hate the idea of a shopping cart containing clothing & fresh food together. Walmart, for example, sells fresh meat & clothing. Walmart is not allowed in NYC but I shopped at Walmart for clothing, etc. in Massachusetts, which didn't have fresh groceries. Disgusting to think of leaking meat juices in the same cart as new white pants, whatever.

AnneBoleyn;1420467 wrote: Is that just food? When I was there, decades ago, I remember M&S as a cheaper type clothing store & Harrods the most snobbish department store. Did M&S always have food too? or is that more recent.

I hate the idea of a shopping cart containing clothing & fresh food together. Walmart, for example, sells fresh meat & clothing. Walmart is not allowed in NYC but I shopped at Walmart for clothing, etc. in Massachusetts, which didn't have fresh groceries. Disgusting to think of leaking meat juices in the same cart as new white pants, whatever.


I think that M and S began as a penny bazaar...but I could well be confused (again). It's not a posh shop nowadays but its ready meals are very good quality

Fortnum Food Halls | Fortnum & Mason Store

Beats Harrods any day

AnneBoleyn;1420467 wrote: Is that just food? When I was there, decades ago, I remember M&S as a cheaper type clothing store & Harrods the most snobbish department store. Did M&S always have food too? or is that more recent.

I hate the idea of a shopping cart containing clothing & fresh food together. Walmart, for example, sells fresh meat & clothing. Walmart is not allowed in NYC but I shopped at Walmart for clothing, etc. in Massachusetts, which didn't have fresh groceries. Disgusting to think of leaking meat juices in the same cart as new white pants, whatever.


Most of our larger supermarkets sell clothes as well as food but I've never come across food packaging leaking in the shopping trolley.

F&M are the posh end of the food chain although they do run a few non-food lines.

Most of our larger supermarkets sell clothes as well as food but I've never come across food packaging leaking in the shopping trolley


The only one who seems worried about that is ME!

My two have taken part in cookery at primary level, not a huge amount but they have done some. My son has done cookery at secondary for a couple of terms but it seems to be a lot of theory and not a lot of practical. Daughter starts secondary in September so it will be interesting to see what she gets to make.

I recall cookery lessons at school, one week theory and then one week practical. Half the theory lesson would be about nutrition and vitamins etc and the other half would be the theory behind whatever we were cooking during the practical week. I remember a lot of what I learnt in my cookery lessons, Mother bless her was a very basic meat and two veg cook and I remember enjoying making macaroni cheese just because it was something different :wah:.

To this day not a grain of savoury rice has passed my Mother's lips, rice is for puddings she says :rolleyes:

I suppose I must have learnt bits from Mother but she didn't encourage us to help, we mostly watched. I do remember that after Sunday roasts my sister and I would take over the kitchen and churn out scones, biscuits and cakes for the afternoon. At a guess I'd say I learnt the most during those afternoons and that's probably why my sister and I are very similar cooks. We also glean a lot of tips and advice from our two Aunts who are brilliant cooks when it comes to sponges and cakes.

theia;1420469 wrote: I think that M and S began as a penny bazaar...but I could well be confused (again). It's not a posh shop nowadays but its ready meals are very good quality
That was Woolworths ?

Look what happened to them.

Bruv;1420484 wrote: That was Woolworths ?

Look what happened to them.


No, Theia's right.

BBC - Leeds - Marks and Spencer born in market

So ner

My apologies Theia.....it's me age

Bruv;1420491 wrote: My apologies Theia.....it's me age


That brings a hilarious situation to mind...you and me, Bruv, having a conversation, both of us confused...and a third party having to put us right :yh_rotfl