Frome Vale Academy Opens New Kitchen with Community Cook-Along
By Community Correspondent
Frome Vale Academy has opened its brand-new kitchen space with the launch of a flagship culinary event delivered in partnership with local charity CRuNCH.
The new kitchen – designed and built by the academy’s Building Services Manager, Ricki Petchey – was brought to life through free labour generously provided by staff from Waterhouse, with Simon, Rubin and Cam all pitching in.
Further support also came from colleagues across the Cabot Learning Federation estates team, including Joshua and Derick.
The upgraded facility provided the perfect setting for the inaugural community cook-along, where families took part in a hands-on session preparing either a chicken or vegetable tikka masala accompanied by a fresh kachumba salad.
Parents, carers and pupils worked side by side before sitting down to enjoy their homemade meal together.
This is part of CRuNCH’s five-week Cook5 programme, which teaches pupils to cook five simple, nutritious meals while developing teamwork, problem-solving and resilience. Each programme ends with a celebratory family cook-along, extending learning into the home and helping nurture positive habits around cooking and eating together.
Frome Vale Academy is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, and the event builds on CRuNCH’s growing partnership with the trust.
The charity has already delivered Cook5 across several CLF schools, including Bristol Brunel Academy, Bristol Metropolitan Academy, CLF Post 16, Snowdon Village and Winterstoke Hundred Academy, supporting young people to develop essential cooking skills and confidence.
Since launching in December 2024, CRuNCH has delivered 21 programmes to more than 350 young people and their families.
Across these programmes, 82.3% of participating students report feeling happier and more positive in themselves, while 94.1% say their confidence in the kitchen has grown.
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With an ambitious goal to make Bristol the UK’s first “Cook5 City”, CRuNCH aims to reach 5,000 young people by 2028 and create a model that can be scaled nationally to transform the lives of more than half a million young people over the next decade.
Kate Percy, founder and CEO of CRuNCH, said:
“Cooking is the catalyst for so much more. Events like these at Frome Vale Academy show how food can bring families and school communities together.
“When children cook alongside their parents and carers, we see their confidence blossom. They take pride in their skills, and that positivity carries into the home and the classroom.”
Jan Saunders, Principal of Frome Vale Academy, said:
“We are thrilled to open our new kitchen with such a meaningful community event. Watching families learn, laugh and cook together in this space has been incredibly special.
“The Cook5 programme gives our pupils skills that will last a lifetime, and we are proud to work with CRuNCH to help strengthen family bonds and promote healthy, affordable eating.”
By equipping children and families with the skills to prepare nutritious, budget-friendly meals, CRuNCH and Frome Vale Academy are helping build positive, lasting change within the community.
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