This Plant-Based Cooking School Wants to Change The World By Offering Free or Pay-By-Donation Classes!

British cooking school Made in Hackney isn’t an ordinary cooking school. Founded in 2012 by Sarah Bentley and Joshana Lovage, the company was created not to offer pricey cooking classes with a syllabus of bougie meals, but to make healthy, sustainable, local, and affordable food. Their goal? To provide food that is good for people and the planet, and to make it accessible to all through free or pay-by-donation cooking classes and more. They aim to tackle many global issues by teaching plant-based cooking, such as how to feed the growing world population in a sustainable way, how to tackle chronic illnesses present in low-income and minority communities through healthy food, supporting local food businesses, and how to bring communities together in an urban environment in order to enhance green initiatives.

Classes at Made in Hackney are affordable and teach students practical skills that fit into their greater mission. There is a strong focus on teaching students not only how to cook, but also how to grow, preserve, and compost seasonal produce. Since opening in 2012, the school has taught over 6,000 Londoners from different backgrounds the skills necessary to secure a more sustainable future. They have also helped many of their students better their health.

According to Wiz, a member of their Cooking for Life course: “Made In Hackney has changed my life. I was a type 2 diabetic and now, thanks to the changes I’ve made to my diet after attending their programme, I no longer take any insulin. I’ve been so inspired I’ve started to earn money by cooking for other people and I’m now developing a career in food. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Now, Made in Hackney is looking to continue their work and reach even more individuals. They have launched a campaign through Crowdfunder in order to reach their goal of £85,000 (about $111,946 U.S.D.), which will ensure that they are able to continue offering affordable plant-based cooking courses to 10,000 people. On top of that, they will continue to work with various groups that give low-income families the skills to prepare healthy food, help people who have suffered major health incidents get back into the kitchen, and assist with meal prep skills for those leaving care in the transition to independent living.

Access to healthy food should be a right given to all, no matter what one’s income bracket or background is. If you would like to Donate to Made in Hackney’s campaign, you can do so by clicking here.

To learn about affordable plant-based cooking, read 5 Carb-Rich Plant-Based Ingredients to Stock Up On When You’re on a Tight Budget, 5 Simple, Filling Meals That Are Cheaper to Cook At Home, and How I Maintain a Very Humble (Low) Budget Eating Vegan, Without Any Sacrifice.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead image source: Made in Hackney/Facebook