Celebrity chef Adam Reid opens refurbished Pennine Mencap kitchen

Pennine Mencap, a leading Oldham charity dedicated to supporting individuals with learning disabilities and their families/carers, welcomed two-time champion of BBC Great British Menu and multiple AA rosette winner, Adam Reid, to open their newly-refurbished kitchen.

Pennine Mencap is a charitable organisation committed to improving the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and autism.

The organisation provides a range of services and support to create a more inclusive and empowered local community.

Food and nutrition education is key to the Pennine Mencap activity program, and the charity operates regular food-based sessions: from informative nutrition and health sessions emphasising the importance of healthy eating to a weekly, interactive ‘cookalong’ session - food is a pillar of the Pennine Mencap program.

Thanks to generous donations and grant funding, Pennine Mencap have been able to totally renovate the kitchens at the charity’s drop-in centre in Oldham.

This year-long project involved remodelling the entire space, installing new plumbing and electrical infrastructure, replacing outdated equipment and even moving a staircase to create more space.

A brand-new commercial oven, microwaves, a fast-cycle dishwasher plus a hot cupboard and heated gantry have revamped the space entirely.

The brand-new equipment has already been put to use, providing daily lunches for the 30+ service users who attend the charity drop-in centre, as well as playing a big part in facilitating Pennine Mencap’s ‘Cookalong’ sessions, where service users are actively encouraged to cook along with the staff, learning how to create healthy, inventive meals from all different cultures.

Following Pennine Mencap’s 5/5 food hygiene inspection from Oldham Council, The French’s Adam Reid came to formally declare the new kitchen open.

Adam toured the premises and marvelled at the standard of the new equipment, before tasting the service users’ takes on some of his own dishes.

A group of regular Cookalong participants gave their spare time to prepare yuzu treacle tarts, bringing flavours straight from The French’s prestigious menu to Oldham’s premier disability drop-in centre.

After sampling the culinary creations, Adam graciously accepted the role of Food Ambassador, and will lend his support and expertise to Pennine Mencap’s cooking projects going forward.

Pennine Mencap Chairman and Trustee, Elliot Sparks, said: “it was a delight to get Adam into the Pennine Mencap kitchen, and a pleasure to serve up our version of his celebrated tarts!

"Having Adam on board as our official Food Ambassador is a thrilling prospect and a massive privilege for Pennine Mencap.

"Adam’s input will help us continue our mission to champion healthy eating, low-waste recipes and ambitious cookery skills.

"We absolutely love making these opportunities accessible to so many amazing individuals with such a diverse range of needs.”

Addressing the charity, Adam spoke about his enthusiasm for food education, saying: “Thanks so much to Pennine Mencap for having me, it is a real pleasure to open the kitchen.

"I’m honoured to accept the role of Food Ambassador.

"Learning about food and discovering a passion for cooking is one of life’s great pleasures.

"The Pennine Mencap team made a gorgeous ginger crème to accompany the yuzu tarts, which is something even I didn’t think of.

"I might even add it to the recipe at The French!

"Having seen the standard of the kitchen and the experienced the wonderful cookery here I’m sure your work will go from strength to strength.

"The idea of opening a pop-up community café here has potential be a real success.”

For more information about Pennine Mencap and the events they have coming up, please visit: www.penninemencap.org

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