Farm to Table: Our Cooking Show

We hosted a cooking show to encourage cooking skills and knowledge of nutrition.

Farm to Table: Our Cooking Show

Last year was a year of many unprecedented events, with the COVID-19 outbreak meaning our children spent a lot of time at home. This posed opportunities to plan events to keep both our families and extended families around the world in touch. 

We spent a long time preparing for a cooking show, brought to you by our Kikuyu home. Let’s dive into how it went!

Cooking Show Logistics

We had three designated judges, Uncle Kepha, Uncle Samson, and Mercy. Each judge brought experience and professionalism to the table, which set a standard for the contestants when it came to quality, production, and presentation. 

Our three judges, Uncle Samson, Mercy and Uncle Kepha.

The children were divided into three groups according to their houses. Each house had the opportunity to select the two chefs that represented their home in the cooking show. Contestants used their creativity to come up with a meal based on the recipe and ingredients, which were to make rice, omelet, and vegetables. The meals will be judged based on creativity, excellence in taste, time-keeping, and presentation.

Each team was equipped with a set amount of ingredients, measured out for fairness.

Providing clarity around rules, talking about health and safety as well as hygiene protocols was an important aspect of the cooking show. We wanted to create a setting which replicated a professional setting with the aim to prepare our children for working in these environments. Rules and protocols were followed excellently and the children thrived in having to be professional with their preparation, cooking, and presentation.

Cooking Show Highlights

The time had come for cooking show day! The ingredients were provided, the main kitchen was ready with the cooking stations and chef aprons and hats were being put on. Excitement was running high in the home! 

Teams went to their cooking stations, while the rest of the houses cheered on from the side and watched in awe. They had 40 minutes to prep, cook and present their meal. The aunties helped prepare and arrange all of the ingredients so the stations were ready. Each team had the opportunity to showcase their cooking and present it to the judges.

Everybody’s A Winner

Each team was judged on presentation, taste and texture, as well as teamwork. Each team gained points in each of these categories, and all had strengths in different areas. 

Once we added up the marks awarded, we came to the following placings: 

1st place: Team Amani with 46/70

2nd place: Jabali with 42 points out of 70

3rd place: Milele with 32/70

It was a challenging and very close competition with every dish thoughtfully created and presented. We awarded Team Armani who came first place with a trophy and provided snacks to all participants to award them for their hard work, dedication and talents. 

Uncle Kepha, one of our judges highlighted; “It’s a win win for everyone given the time. All of the children should consider themselves as winners.”

The cooking show was a learning process for the children as much as it was a fun competition. It went so well that we’re going to make it an annual tradition in our homes. The children came away talking about the cooking, the anticipation, and the excitement for days after, and we will cherish these wonderful memories.

Do you want to know more about the nutrition in our homes? Take a look at how we encourage a balanced and healthy lifestyle for our children in our latest blog.