Fiona Hamilton-Fairley MBE (born 1963)[1][2] is the founder and CEO of The Kids' Cookery School in Acton, West London.[3] She founded the cookery school for children in 1995 and she has authored three books. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2019.
Fiona Hamilton-Fairley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 |
| Children | 3 |
| Culinary career | |
| Cooking style | Children's cooking |
Career
editAfter completing a Cordon Bleu course, Hamilton-Fairley worked as a chef, and founded and managed her own catering company, Corporate Catering Company.[4] Hamilton-Fairley's vocation for teaching cookery was sparked in 1987 when she began to teach adults how to cook in a number of adult educational centres in London boroughs.
The Kids' Cookery School
editHamilton-Fairley founded The Kids' Cookery School (KCS) in 1995, raising funds to build the purpose-built teaching kitchens in Acton, West London.[4] Children aged 3-16 years old attend for practical cookery lessons, where they learn to cook healthy food from fresh ingredients.[4] Almost 13, 000 children a year are taught at The Kids' Cookery School. The goal of the school is to teach children healthy choices and teach them valuable life skills.[4] Hamilton-Fairley learned that a majority of parents believed teaching children cooking skills is important, however very few actually have the time to teach their own children.[5]
KCS offers assisted places and includes children who are disengaged with or excluded from education, or who have disabilities or special needs.[4][6] The main focus is on savoury food that children will eat,[7][8] with instruction in safety[4] and familiarity with raw ingredients.[7]
In 2009, Hamilton-Fairley's Kids' Cookery School started 'KCS on wheels'. Experienced chefs are sent to communities to bring cooking to children who otherwise might not experience the school.[1]
In 2018, Hamilton-Fairley continued to advocate for children learning to cook. She has said that for two decades children were not taught to cook is schools and now they are a generation that lives on junk food.[9] Hamilton-Fairley has been called a children's cooking expert.[10]
Funding
editThe school is a registered charity and relies on donations from charitable trusts, companies, individuals and government.[11][12]
Awards
editBooks
edit- I Can’t Cook (1993) By Fiona Hamilton-Fairley, Bloomsbury Press ISBN 9780747513995 Hardcover (United Kingdom) 24 June 1993; ISBN 9780747514008 Paperback (United Kingdom) 26 August 1994 [16][17]
- I Can’t Cook: Entertaining (1995) By Fiona Hamilton-Fairley, Bloomsbury Press ISBN 9780747522997 Hardcover (United Kingdom) 24 August 1995
- The Kids' Cook Book (2005) By Fiona Hamilton-Fairley, Self-published
- Little Cooks: 30 Delicious Recipes to Make and Enjoy (1 April 2008) By Fiona Hamilton-Fairley, New Holland Publishers ISBN 978-1845379841 [18]
External links
edit- Order of the British Empire – official website of the British Monarchy
- Huffington Post Article written by Fiona Hamilton-Fairley
References
edit- ^ a b Hamilton-Fairley, Fiona. "How to Get Your Kids into Cooking". Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ Battersby, Kate (27 March 2004). "Big rewards for little chefs". Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ Knox Merrill, Mary (20 March 2007). "At this school, the food is part of the curriculum". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Gould, Kevin; Karmel, Annabel (31 August 2002). "We can all go to work on an egg". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ "Giving your kids a taste for cookery is teaching a skill for life". Belfast Telegraph. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ a b Ramrayka, Liza (16 October 2002). "Central eating. Kids' Cookery School, west London". The Guardian. London, England. pp. GS15-16. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ a b Boseley, Sarah (19 November 1996). "Let loose on veg". The Guardian. London, England. pp. GE 4–5. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "Can't cook, will learn to cook". The Times. London, England. 3 July 2004. p. 11.
- ^ DAVIS, ANNA. "Ready, steady... learn to cook! Appeal families get pop-up class". Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Despite the Nation's Obsession with TV Cooking Programmes, Only a Third of Families are Cooking Together Every Month". wallstreet-online. wallstreet:online AG. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Kids' cookery classes". deliciousmagazine. DELICIOUS MAGAZINE. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ "Charity accuses lottery fund of confused priorities". The Guardian. Guardian News. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ Bazaraa, Danya. "Children's cookery school founder awarded for going 'above and beyond'". mylondon.news. My London (Reach plc subsidiary). Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ "Order of the British Empire". The London Gazette. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- ^ Hughs, David. "Queen's birthday honours list 2019: full list of everyone being recognised this year". iNews. JPIMedia Ltd.
- ^ Tennant, Jane (10 October 1993). "Taking it easy". The Sun-Herald. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. p. 132. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "The non-cook's delight". Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Gazette. 9 September 1994. p. 27. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ Blackburn, Maria (16 July 2008). "Teaching young kids to cook by the book". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland, US. p. F5. Retrieved 15 August 2019.