Over 100 Wellington School students, staff and families joined forces with caterers Thomas Franks to undertake ‘The Big Cook Challenge’ – and have officially set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most ready-made meals prepared in 24 hours!
Almost 80,000 meals have been prepared by an army of volunteers at the Somerset Cricket Ground smashing the target of 60,000 to set new record – all using surplus food that would have otherwise gone to waste.
The tasty and nutritious meals were cooked up and distributed to local charities and community groups – showing how we can all come together to reduce food waste and fight food poverty!
Working around the clock using culinary expertise from Thomas Franks, quality surplus food from City Harvest and the help of student volunteers and parents, the epic challenge produced 79,500 meals yesterday (23 October 2024). Sixteen local charities and community groups including Taunton Food Bank, Love Somerset and the United Reformed Church Glastonbury will benefit from the record-breaking efforts as well as charitable and community organisations through City Harvest’s network of support.
Alex Kemp, Deputy Head at Wellington School, said: “We loved the record-breaking aspirations of this project and the opportunity for our students to learn about reducing food waste and supporting communities. The challenge also highlights the positive impact young people can make to wider society. The volunteering opportunity was identified and promoted in school by our amazing Student Leaders, and everyone involved gained valuable hands-on experience about the importance of social responsibility.”
The tasty and nutritious dishes served up by the team throughout 24 hours of roasting, sautéing and boiling included a vegetable casserole, vegetable curry, three bean chilli and a lentil dhal. A fleet of vehicles was also on hand to deliver the meals fresh out of the kitchen to the charity groups, driven by a team of volunteers.
Created to help those in need experiencing limited access to food and to raise awareness of food waste, the Big Cook Challenge only used edible surplus food from supermarkets and restaurants which might otherwise go to waste and mainly landfill due to overproduction, overordering, cosmetic imperfections or accidental damage.
Ten tonnes of tomatoes, three tonnes of cabbage and two tonnes of peppers were just some of the 30 tonnes of food saved during the challenge and cooked up thanks to the loan of Somerset County Cricket Club’s four commercial kitchens for the event.
An official adjudicator from GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS was on hand to verify the new record, now officially confirmed as a world record for the most ready-made meals prepared in 24 hours.
Wellington School is thrilled to have been an integral part of this phenomenal collaboration and is proud of the dedication, tenacity and compassion shown by the volunteers who aided with this project.
Categories: School News Wellington School
