In a recent Year 9 Food & Nutrition class, students were treated to a very special guest. The guest, Kathy Slack, is not your average food enthusiast. She is a food writer, cook, photographer, and vegetable grower all rolled into one. As she walked in, the room filled with anticipation as the students knew they were in for a treat.
Kathy, author of From the Veg Patch, began by sharing her personal journey, her career and the interesting paths that food can take you on. The students were amazed at the diversity of opportunities available in the industry, from food writing to event planning, and even photography. They realized that their passion for food could take them on many exciting adventures.
As Kathy started to demonstrate her delicious seasonal courgette salad, the students eagerly watched and listened as she talked them through the process. They learned about the benefits of using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and the importance of seasonality in cooking. They were inspired to try new techniques and flavour combinations in their own cooking, and to be more adventurous in their approach to food.
As the class came to an end, the students were buzzing with excitement, and some of their comments afterwards were:
“It was interesting to hear how many exciting careers there are in food such as food writing, marketing and photography.”
“I liked the way that Kathy showed us how you can use the rocket flowers and other edible flowers to add flavours to salads.”
“Kathy talked about her cookbook, form the initial idea to it being published. It was so much more involved than I realised.”
