The Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT) has announced a collaboration with national youth charity OnSide to develop a project to help young people to understand the food chain and learn essential cooking skills.

For over 40 years, the SOFHT team has been dedicated to delivering training and sharing expertise across all areas of the food industry. Through regular consultation with its members and the wider sector, it has highlighted a growing need for children and young adults to be empowered to make informed and healthy food choices.

This need was also central to Dame Prue Leith’s presentation at SOFHT’s Annual Lunch in 2021, as well as that of subsequent speakers Adam Henson of BBC Countryfile and food writer and critic Matthew Fort.

The partnership between SOFHT, its members and OnSide will see young people benefit from investment in training kitchens and specialist advice from SOFHT’s experts on all aspects of the food chain, as well as guidance on the wide range of career options across the industry.  

OnSide creates and supports a growing network of Youth Zones, which it said are “state of the art” centres providing access to opportunities and skilled youth workers for over 50,000 young people in some of England’s most economically disadvantaged communities. Each Youth Zone offers a range of facilities including fully stocked training kitchens enabling individuals to develop their interest and skills in cooking and food preparation.

Paul Davidson, chair of SOFHT, commented: “Partnering with OnSide will give us an incredible opportunity to educate and inspire young people across the country. Our aim is to make the food industry accessible, helping young people understand its importance to health and wellbeing, as well as the diverse career paths it offers.”

Dame Prue Leith DBE said: “Just think: If by getting kids really interested in food, what it’s made from, where it comes from, how to grow and cook it, what it does for and to the body and/or to the planet, we could get them to love good healthy food and choose to eat it. And within a generation we could fix the obesity problem! Maybe that’s a pipe dream, but the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology is doing its best towards that goal.”

SOFHT is a voluntary organisation set up in 1979 to represent the interests & views of everyone involved in food hygiene and technology. For further information visit www.sofht.co.uk.