356 0 Kommentare Despite the Nation's Obsession with TV Cooking Programmes, Only a Third of Families are Cooking Together Every Month

LONDON, August 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

New research lifts the lid on British families' kitchen confidence

Nearly three-quarters of children aged nine years old don't know how to boil an egg
68 per-cent of parents said they only cook with their children once a month or less, with 14% saying they never do
41 per-cent of parents said they wish they had more time to cook with their children

A new study shows that despite families regularly tucking in to watch cookery shows such as MasterChef, Come Dine with Me and The Great British Bake Off, there are many children across the country that aren't in the kitchen learning one of the most important life skills: cooking.

With the launch of her 'How to Cook' book almost 20 years ago Delia Smith predicted the nation's basic cooking skills were on the decline, and now it seems as though the prediction is coming true as nearly three-quarters of children aged nine don't know how to boil an egg and a further two-fifths are unsure of how to peel a potato.

Commissioned by UNCLE BEN'S®, more than 80 per-cent of parents in the Kitchen Confidence study said that cooking with their kids was important to teach them a valuable skill for life. However, only 32% of parents said they were cooking with their kids more than once a month and a further 14% of parents said they never cook with their kids.

Despite these findings, 41% of parents said they wish they had more time to cook with their children and that they would be more inclined to do so if it was less messy (24%) and if their children were more interested (25%) in spending time in the kitchen.

Kid's cooking expert Fiona Hamilton-Fairley said that by not learning to cook, kids are missing out on essential 'life preparation' skills which could also lead to unhealthy eating habits later in life.

"We know the impact that cooking and eating as a family has on health, but we also know the challenges of today's busy lifestyle and getting kids to be enthusiastic and engaged in the kitchen," said Fiona Hamilton-Fairley, CEO and Principal of The Kids' Cookery School in London.

The research comes as UNCLE BEN'S® expands its Ben's Beginners™ programme - to inspire families to cook together and increase their confidence in the kitchen - by providing online interactive, step-by-step cooking instructions and family-friendly recipes.

Fiona Hamilton-Fairley said, "UNCLE BEN'S® believes that cooking is an essential life skill as important as reading or writing and have created the Ben's Beginners™ digital hub to provide families with helpful tools to learn to cook in a fun and exciting way."