Community MasterChef found the recipe for success!

Community MasterChef was a remote weekly cooking which taught 100 participants how to recreate 7-weekly family meals on a budget of £25, based on feeding a family of four. Repurposing the same ingredients or leftovers to create meals for the whole week! The project ran throughout the six-week school summer holidays.

Each household that signed up for the project received a weekly payment to cover the cost of ingredients for the meal plan, ensuring they could fully participate without a financial strain. In addition, families without the necessary equipment were provided with air fryers and cooking packs. The programme aimed to ease some of the financial pressure families face during the summer months, especially with rising food costs. This initiative not only helped families cook delicious, healthier meals on a budget but also fostered a sense of community and fun through weekly challenges and prizes.

The programme featured a different cuisine theme each week, including British, Asian, American, Indian, Vegetarian, and Italian. Our resident chef, Pavini, led the way by demonstrating how to cook the featured meal of the week. These pre-recorded cooking sessions were complemented by a virtual cookbook and shopping list cards, making it easy for participants to follow along at home. The flexibility of the programme ensured that families with varying schedules could still fully participate.

To showcase the programme an online community was created, enabling participants to share their cooking experiences and feedback. Families were also encouraged to apply what they learned by creating their own budget meal plans for a chance to win a prize, with winning entries included in the virtual cookbook. This combination of hands-on learning and community engagement made the programme both practical and interactive.

To spice things up, participants with an appetite for more than just delicious meals had an opportunity to win several prizes throughout the duration of the course. Weekly prizes were also awarded to families, with additional entries gained by sharing meal photos. Many fantastic prizes were donated by local businesses, including The Angel Hotel, St Pierre Hotel, and Cwrt Bleddyn, making the final grand prize draw especially exciting.

MHA secured a total of 18 months funding to offer tailored adult numeracy programs over the eighteen months, funded by the Government’s Multiply initiative, aiming to improve adults’ numeracy skills.  Helping them to understand and use maths in daily life, home, and work, whether that be improving household finances, helping children with homework, or improving numeracy skills specific to their line of work. Thanks to a £7,200 grant from the Monmouthshire Food Partnership, the project expanded significantly.

Initially planned to accommodate 50 participants over four weeks, the grant allowed the programme to extend to 100 participants and cover the full six weeks of the school summer holidays. This extended timeline gave families even more support during the financially challenging summer months.

Nadine Fletcher, our Inclusion Manager said:

• Catch 22
• The Cwtch Cafe
• The Angel Hotel & Oak Room Restaurant
• Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel and Spa
• St Pierre Country Club
• A&J Future Fitness