Many young people no longer know how to cook a meal, use a knife properly or choose seasonal ingredients, so Richmond chef Tony Robson-Burrell is going to run courses for 12 to 19-year-olds who are keen on food.
His young chef’s course may even unearth budding chefs who he can direct into a career, but the main aim is to pass on 40 years’ experience as a chef in restaurants, hotels, pubs and even preparing food for King Charles and Queen Camilla at what was then Mahana Estates and before they were crowned.
“Creating a meal at home is becoming a lost art,” he says.
“So it’s a passion of mine to pass on my experience to younger people. It’s teaching them life skills; how to cook fresh food and make simple meals for the family and enjoy what food is all about.
“If anyone is interested in pursuing it as a career option, I can point them in the direction of restaurants and cafes. It’s not about becoming a chef though, it’s about new skills, communication and enjoying themselves.”
He intends running separate courses for 12 to 15-year-olds and 16 to 19-year-olds at The Food Factory, once a month on a Saturday over three months, so that those at school or working can attend.
One of his potential students is 16-year-old Sophia Malcolmson, though she is already a competent cook and usually prepares the family meal every night and likes to bake bread.
“I’m the only one out of my friends that cooks dinner. I just like how you make new things and not the same thing and if you don’t like something you can change it.”
Tony also wants to inspire his students to have go at growing their own produce, so they can understand more about their food and learn the importance of fresh produce.
He had intended to run the courses for free but says the cost of hiring the kitchen and buying ingredients has led to him putting a fee on the course.
The young chef courses follow his free cost-of-living courses where he teaches people how to cook a family meal for $5.
He says he continues to run that course every month because the cost of living continues to rise and people are struggling.
He regularly gets about 20 people to those courses and people only give a donation if they can afford it.
“What I’m trying to tell people now is to use high-quality ingredients, but less of it. That’s better than using lots of low-quality ingredients. You have to cook smart these days.”
More information on the Young Chefs Cookery School can be found here.
