On 13thSeptember, Ben Shephard will be visiting Bristol to teach local young people how to cook Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie as part of 5by25, a national campaign which calls for young people to master at least five dishes by the age of 25.
He will be visiting young people on The Prince’s Trust Fairbridge Programme in Bristol, which inspires local young people giving them the motivation, self-confidence and skills they need to change their lives. The Prince’s Trust is one of six youth organisations around the country chosen to take part in the Red Tractor beef and lamb 5by25 campaign, which aims to give young people the chance to develop general cooking skills including time management, food buying and knife skills.
TV presenter Ben will be teaching his simple but tasty Shepherd’s Pie to young people aged 16-25 at the event. He will be battling it out against fellow celebrity and former-politician Edwina Currie who will be touring youth organisations in the north of England teaching youngsters her signature dish ‘Edwina’s Curry’. Each celebrity is aiming to obtain the biggest following for their dish by encouraging people up and down the country to vote for their favourite lamb dish via the campaign website www.5by25.com and share their vote on Facebook and Twitter.
The young people will be cooking with Ben at groundbreaking Bristol cookery school, Square Food Foundation. Speaking about the event, Ben said: “I am looking forward to meeting the young people in Bristol as part of the 5by25 tour. We are going to help them learn to cook my simple Shepherd’s Pie recipe from scratch and hopefully kick start their passion for cooking. Some young people may not have the time or knowledge to cook, but it’s important to learn the basics of selecting and preparing, so everyone has the choice. My ‘Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie’ is going up against ‘Edwina’s Curry’, but I am confident the South West will help spread the word and vote my dish as the nation’s favourite.”
Ginny Lunn from The Prince’s Trust said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Ben to Bristol as part of his campaign to get local young people cooking. The young people we work with may be unemployed or struggling with education, but are keen to try new things and learn new skills. With youth unemployment at a record high, we work with them to help them into jobs. The 5by25 campaign is a really fun way to engage young people, and we’re looking forward to seeing Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie crowned the champion dish!”
The Red Tractor beef and lamb 5by25 campaign was founded by EBLEX in October 2011 after research revealed almost 60% of Britain’s 16-25 year-olds are leaving home without the ability to cook even a simple Spaghetti Bolognese. The website is core to the campaign and contains a selection of simple but tasty recipes including Edwina’s Curry and Ben’s Shepherd’s Pie as well as guidance on selecting the best ingredients and food preparation. Young people are encouraged to cook these simple meals from scratch and complete the ‘Master the Dish’ challenge.
Youth charity The Prince’s Trust helps 55,000 disadvantaged young people each year, giving them the skills and confidence to find work. Three in four young people on Prince’s Trust schemes move into work, education or training.
The Prince’s Trust needs to raise £1 million a week to continue its vital work.