Cooking up ways to help with the rising cost of living

North Tyneside Council has supported households with the rising cost of living by running several slow cooker courses across the borough.

200 residents put on their aprons throughout March to master using a slow cooker including learning how to make a range of affordable and easy recipes.

As part of the course each of the participants received a free slow cooker and a slow cooker recipe book to help them put their practice into actions at home.

The course aimed to support households to not only to cook nutritional meals, but to help with rising living costs by teaching residents how to benefit from batch cooking. By cooking food and portioning into different meals, it can reduce not only cooking costs but it’s a good alternative to buying pre-prepared ready meals which can be expensive.

Residents who took part in the course described it as ‘super useful’ and said the course not only provided ‘some great tips for cooking on a budget’ but also helped to develop their confidence in the kitchen.

Cllr Karen Clark, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing at North Tyneside Council, said: “We know that the cost-of-living crisis is having a real impact on our residents, and it is great that we have been able to use the vital Household Support Grants to host these brilliant courses and to provide a free slow cooker to so many homes.

“Learning how to cook healthy meals in a cost-effective way is a fantastic new skill for our residents, and it is recognised that cooking using a slow cooker is more energy-efficient than using an oven which is a small step towards reducing a homes energy bill.

“It’s great to hear such positive feedback from everyone who got involved and we will continue to do everything we can to support our residents through this crisis.”

Funded through the Household Support Grant, the sessions took place in various community venues including Carville Primary School and the Wellbeing Hub in Wallsend.

The free slow cooker recipe book, filled with easy and nutritious recipes, is available here

For more information about the scheme, click here.