The Jack in The Green inspire local school

Matthew Mason has been the Head Chef of the Jack in the Green for 18 years. When not chopping, stirring, roasting and innovating, Matthew has spent a great deal of his own time forging relationships with many of the neighboring farmers, producers and growers that surround the award winning dining pub.

Against the backdrop of headlines signaling new trends in childhood obesity, Matthew was delighted to embark upon an exciting relationship in 2007 between the Jack and West Hill Primary School. Together with Paul, Matthew will be working closely with the Head Teacher Sue Nield, as well as the Science Subject Leader, Sue Bedford, in what is an ongoing and very proactive partnership.Matthew, like any caring father, is keen to ensure his son is getting all the nutrients he needs.

The age range of West Hill’s pupils (4-11 years) makes them a very receptive audience in what is already a proactive school in their attitude to healthy living. Matthew’s own childhood experiences will undoubtedly help to shape the nature of some of the activities, especially as Charlie is now in his first year at West Hill “When I was young there was something very comforting about my mum’s home cooking. I hope that with the right nurturing education and encouragement our children can also grow up with the same feelings of comfort and satisfaction that surrounded my childhood.”

For professional chefs working to tight schedules a recipe that consists merely of a set of instructions may be adequate but children who are still learning about food deserve more. Children need to understand the reasons behind what they are doing. One clear message that cannot be understated is that the best food is always prepared using only the best ingredients. Matthew’s overriding aim for this project is to transpose as much of his passion as is humanly possible to enthuse the children so that they find learning about food fun.

Ongoing visits to a number of farms, producers and to The Jack in the Green will ensure that they see and experience where all their food comes from. Food miles, freshness, seasonality and experimenting with ingredients will underpin everything that is done.

West Hill Primary School from Ross Hayward on Vimeo.

Josh Eggleton in Google cookalong event

The Pony & Trap’s Josh Eggleton in UK’s first online cookalong

Bristol chef joins Ocado and Great British Chefs to give nationwide “cookalong” via Youtube & Google+

On Wednesday 20th June at 4.30pm, Josh Eggleton, head chef of the Pony & Trap in Chew Magna is teaming up with Ocado and premium recipe website, Great British Chefs, to give an interactive cookalong experience that will be accessible online across the nation.

For the event, Ocado has enlisted some of the biggest culinary stars, bringing the nation exciting and interactive cooking experiences. Josh and two other of the UK’s finest chefs will be holding live Mealtime Masterclasses via a pioneering online streaming method from Google+.

With esteemed food writer and critic, Matthew Fort, compering proceedings, the masterclasses will see the chefs, all of whom have been awarded Michelin Stars, creating new takes on classic British dishes. The full lineup is as follows:

• Galton Blackiston, Morston Hall, Norfolk – Quail Scotch Eggs – 12.15
• Simon Hulstone, The Elephant, Torquay – Curried Chicken Kiev – 14.15
• Josh Eggleton, The Pony & Trap, Bristol – Pimm’s Jelly – 16.30

Those who simply want to sit back and watch the chefs in action can visit Ocado’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/ocado where the Mealtime Masterclasses will be streamed LIVE in a UK first.

Visit www.greatbritishchefs.com/ocado-mealtime-masterclass or ocado.com/masterclass for all the details about the event and where you can link to buy your ingredients in advance from Ocado.

As Ocado campaigns for the nation to remix the recipes they regularly concoct, they will offer around 30 lucky participants the chance to cook along live with the Great British Chefs via exclusive Google+ Hangouts. These consumers will be able to interact directly with the chefs, receiving five star advice and cookery tips whilst ultimately experiencing the heat of a professional kitchen in the comfort of their own home.

Commenting, Josh Eggleton said:

“The online cookalong concept is innovative and exciting. This is the first of its kind in the UK so it’s a real privilege for me to be involved and flying the flag for Bristol. I’ve done a few cooking demos in my time at the Pony & Trap but this will undoubtedly be the biggest audience I’ve ever had!”

Great British Chef CEO Ollie Lloyd comments:

“We are delighted to be working with Ocado as they are the only retailer that really caters for the home cook.  Our chefs’ recipes are full of interesting ingredients that your average supermarket does not stock. Ocado does and is making a point of expanding its range. We are looking forward to providing its consumers with inspirational recipes and exciting cooking experiences to make this a British summer to remember.”

Ocado founder Jason Gissing comments on the Ocado Mealtime Masterclasses:

“The partnership with Great British Chefs allows Ocado to use innovative and new technologies to provide shoppers with a top quality service that is truly five-star.

“By helping customers to create inspirational meals of their own, we’ll not only deliver a broad range of great value ingredients, but also bring expert knowledge from the professional kitchen to our customers’ homes. It’s all about making life even easier for our customers and now cooking an award-winning meal is only a click away!”