New gin to support unique cookery school for kids in deprived Edinburgh communities

Well-known figures in Edinburgh's food scene have launched a unique cookery school to teach kids about local food in a bid to create the next generation of top chefs.

The team behind Edinburgh Food Social, who have been working to enhance lives through food since 2015, have embarked on an ambitious project to launch a cookery school and training hub for young people across the capital.

The team behind Edinburgh Food Social, who have been working to enhance lives through food since 2015, have embarked on an ambitious project to launch a cookery school and training hub for young people across the capital.

Already, the Edinburgh Food Social has a proven track record both through classroom sessions and the successful Food Truck Project in improving the outcomes of hundreds of kids living in deprived areas in Edinburgh, using food as an anchor for invaluable life skills such as numeracy, literacy, basic cookery and management skills.

Founded by Eleanor Cunningham, owner of Edinburgh Larder, and run by chefs and food educators Steve Brown and Marcus O'Shea, the training hub will now provide permanent kitchen

facilities for up to 12 students to learn about local, seasonal food and gain real skills through a 'Food Apprentice' programme, resulting in both life-skills and employability opportunities to plug the growing skills gap.

Not only will the new project teach young people of all ages and backgrounds about good food, but will also distribute nutritionally balanced, affordable food to communities all over Edinburgh.

To support this social enterprise cookery school, the Edinburgh Food Social is launching a range of small batch seasonal gins distilled by the team at Edinburgh Gin - starting with Spring Gin, using foraged seasonal botanicals.

There will also be a new house-roasted, fairly-traded coffee on sale to support a high-profile crowd funding campaign.

Edinburgh Food Social's Head of Education said: "Having been involved in the food industry in Scotland and around the world for over 20 years, I have witnessed first hand the impact that food can have on the quality of people's lives. The whole team here is very excited about the potential of the training kitchen and the impact it will have on the lives of young people across the city."

Eleanor Cunningham added: "Over the past few years, it has become more and more difficult to find chefs with a good base of knowledge and skills. Our training kitchen will give young cooks that valuable understanding of food and I can't wait to follow their journeys for years to come."