Cooking Begins at Home
VENTURI’S TABLE MOTHER’S DAY SURVEY REVEALS HOW THE GOVERNMENT COULD LOOK CLOSER TO HOME IN INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION TO COOK
A survey by Venturi’s Table Cookery Centre has revealed that our culinary habits are determined by whether our mothers taught us cooking skills and cooked regularly for us at home. Commissioned for Mother’s Day, the study sought to investigate the significance of instilling positive cookery habits at home at a time when the government has positioned instruction in the kitchen as an appropriate part of UK children’s schooling. Of 500 respondents interviewed between the ages of 20 and 60:
- 76% who cooked from scratch either everyday or most days were taught a significant amount of cooking skills by their mothers
- 90% who claimed to cook from scratch either everyday or most days enjoyed a comparable amount of their mothers’ home cooking while growing up
Other interesting findings included…
- Our mothers educated us about free range poultry[1][1] and ‘5 a day’ before Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the Department of Health
- Our mothers are perhaps contributing to the loss of national culinary traditions by failing to pass on family recipes
Teach your child to cook…at home
The Venturi’s Table survey showed that those who were not taught cooking by their mothers at home were more likely to adopt bad, long-term culinary habits. Of those that didn’t receive any guidance from their mums only 37% now cook from scratch regularly. In contrast, 63% of respondents who had been taught some cooking by their mothers cooked for themselves either everyday or most days. The level of knowledge passed on by mothers was also significant. 76% of those that cooked from scratch very regularly were either taught how to make a few complete dishes or given a comprehensive understanding of techniques and recipes by their mothers. In contrast, only 23% of those who were taught the basics (such as how to boil an egg or peel potatoes) did a significant amount of cooking from scratch.
Out of all the respondents interviewed 73% would have liked their mother to have taught them more home cooking and 36% of people who thought this were men.
10% cooking inspiration, 90% mothers’ demonstration
Gordon, Nigella and Jamie might still dominate television schedules but it is our mums who we really watch and take note of in the kitchen. 90% of respondents who had experienced their mothers’ cooking for them everyday or most days grew up to replicate this routine themselves. The survey also revealed that it was unusual for children whose mother had not regularly cooked for them to adopt it as a daily habit in later life. Only 5% of those who did claim to cook very regularly themselves had mums who never cooked for them at home or only put on an apron for special occasions.
What came first- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall or our mums?
As well as teaching most of us (73%) at least some cookery basics, it seems that mothers have also been helping us make good ingredient choices. Even before the Department of Health’s ‘5 a day’ campaign our mums were making sure we ate our greens with 67% of respondents stating that their mothers incorporated at least 5 pieces of fruit and/or vegetables into their daily diets. Of those respondents whose mothers had the option of buying free range chicken or eggs while they were growing up, 53% claimed their mums did choose free range and this influenced their current shopping decisions.
Pasta and pesto Brits
With pasta fast replacing ‘meat and two veg’ as the nation’s favourite staple the Venturi’s Table survey also looked at whether mothers had passed down any British family recipes to respondents. Worryingly, the survey seems to suggest that while our mothers have taught most of us at least some cookery basics, what they teach is inspired by current food trends rather than recipes which have been handed down. Only 12% of those questioned were given lots of family recipes by their mothers and over a quarter (33%) were not given any at all. Men were more likely to get no inspiration from their mother’s family culinary traditions with 86% palmed off with recipes from cookery books.
‘Sophie won’t make her violin lesson this week, she is cooking with me’
The survey revealed there is an understanding that teaching children to cook at home is both important and beneficial. 87% of those asked said they were or will be teaching their own children how to cook. Even among those who had not experienced their own mother’s cooking instruction, the majority (68%) said they would pass on culinary knowledge to their own offspring.
In replacing a more ‘desirable’ after-school activity such as dance classes or violin lessons with time spent cooking with their children, the next generation of parents will also be saving themselves some valuable time and money. 85% of those questioned took part in extra curricular classes such as dance, music or sport while they were growing up but only a shocking 44% kept what they had learnt up. 67% of those who had not continued their childhood hobbies said they would have instead, liked more cooking help from their mothers.
Anna Venturi Managing Director of Venturi’s Table Cookery Centre commented; “Cooking is an essential life skill and teaching children to cook at home should be as natural as helping them to tie their shoe laces or brush their teeth. The survey demonstrates that when parents do invest in sharing culinary knowledge with their children they succeed in establishing a habit which will last into adulthood. Food and cooking has always been a universal way to bring people together so the process of teaching your child to cook will also nourish parents’ relationships with them.”
Letizia Tufari, Anna’s daughter who jointly runs Venturi’s Table Cookery Centre added; “It is encouraging to learn that despite our continuing fascination with celebrity chefs our mothers remain the most influential figures behind our culinary habits. With their position of influence, it is important that mothers remember to also keep family and British food traditions alive through their children. My mother taught me recipes which were passed down, mostly verbally, through the female line of her family and this will help keep my Italian roots alive for my children.”
For more information about Venturi’s Table Cookery Centre please visit www.venturis-table.com.
This Latest News article was created on 29th February 2008