Words by Smiley Team
Footballer Marcus Rashford and TV chef Tom Kerridge are on a mission to combat child food poverty across the UK.
Full Time Meals, their latest campaign together, aims to stop hunger in its tracks, through the creation of 52 easy, simple and healthy recipes, created by Tom, who has been working in the kitchen for more than 30 years.
Tom tells Smiley News: “Full Time Meals was created to support the nationwide initiative #EndChildFoodPoverty, and when you hear figures like 4.2 million children in the UK are living in poverty, it’s impossible to ignore.
“No child should go to bed hungry and although I never went without food, I grew up in a single parent household on a council estate, my Mum worked two jobs and times were difficult and money was tight, so if Marcus and I can make even the smallest difference then it will mean everything to us.
“For Marcus and myself it is about encouraging families to be creative, have fun in the kitchen and gaining confidence whilst learning invaluable skills.”
(Read about the community initiative to support vulnerable people with free food)
The recipes are specifically formulated so you won’t need many ingredients, and the whole family will be able to cook them.
“The recipes had to be pocket friendly, really easy to make, with very limited and basic cooking equipment, so essentially a wooden spoon, grater, baking tray, saucepan, frying pan etc. no fancy gadgets at all," says Tom.
Every week a new recipe is released, so that people can have a go at cooking it themselves. They include dishes such as smashed peas on toast, chicken satay stir fry, rainbow and halloumi couscous, and tuna melt pittas.
Marcus has become renowned for shining a light on the nation’s child poverty issue, and continues to fight for systematic change. He created the Child Food Poverty Taskforce to unite the biggest players in the British food industry, to stand united in finding a long-term sustainable framework to combat child poverty across the UK.
Every Sunday morning, a new cook-along video is launched on their Instagram page, so families can enjoy great meals at home, whatever their cooking experience or budget.
(Quaker Oats donates 500,000 breakfasts for World Food Day)
“The response has been fantastic, we’ve seen an uptake in the Healthy Start Vouchers which is the main priority for us, but yes it’s been great to see people getting stuck in and sending us their videos," says Tom.
“It’s lovely to see families and friends all cooking together and messing about in the kitchen, and we hope they will pick up a few tips along the way."
You can follow @FullTimeMeals to access all cook-along videos featuring Tom, Marcus and famous friends, or find out more here.
