Children's Food Trust Announced As New Charity For Leiths' 40th Event

Due to the recent closure of Kids Company, Leiths School of Food and Wine is pleased to confirm that it will be supporting The Children's Food Trust during its 40th Celebrations.

The Children's Food Trust is a national charity on a mission to get every child eating well: at home, in childcare, at school and beyond. That means spreading the skills, knowledge and confidence to cook from scratch, helping everyone who provides food for children to do a great job and encouraging industry to help families make better food choices.

As The Children's Food Trust states, "By getting them eating well today, we're creating the healthier adults of tomorrow: adults who are less likely to suffer health conditions linked to poor diet. That means cutting costs for the NHS, a more productive workforce and better food habits passed to future generations."

Camilla Schneideman, Managing Director of Leiths adds; "We are delighted to have found such a wonderful charity to support where our shared love of food, as well as our cookery knowledge can be put to good use. I believe it is essential for children to eat well and to know how to cook to give them the best start in life; we look forward to sponsoring The Children's food Trust and working with them in the future."

Leiths School of Food and Wine, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. To mark this historic event, Leiths will be hosting an evening of canapés and conversation reflecting on the changing tastes of Britain over the last 40 years, with guest panellists Prue Leith, Yotam Ottolenghi, Rick Stein and Gizzi Erskine. and compered by chef and journalist Tim Hayward. Prue Leith, founder of Leiths School of Food and Wine; creative sensation Yotam Ottolenghi; celebrated advocate of the sea, Rick Stein; and Gizzi Erskine, contemporary voice of food culture, will discuss our changing attitudes to food, techniques and trends since Leiths opened its doors in 1975. All hosted by Guild of Food Writer's Food Journalist of the year Tim Hayward.

The panel will explore our relationship with food and cooking from a range of perspectives, from the processed foods of the 70s, nouvelle cuisine of the 80s and the gastropubs and fusion foods of the 90s; through the ever expanding popularity of international cuisines, fad diets and obsession with where our food comes from, no culinary stone will be left unturned. As Yotam Ottolenghi adds, "I'm really excited to be part of this discussion. 40th birthdays are a great time to take stock and reflect. On all the good things, the bad things, and – like for any of us who have turned 40 and looked back – all the fashions that are best forgotten! It's going to be fun to think about British food and celebrate it, in all its variety, and see what we even all mean when we use the term "British food".

Following the talk the evening will take on a celebratory air, as food loving guests are served canapés influenced by Leiths favourites over the decades.

The evening promises to be an entertaining and interactive exploration of Great Britain through its palate.

For every ticket purchased Leiths will donate to The Children's Food Trust.

ENDS

In Conversation: 40 Years – The Changing Tastes of Britain.
Thu 24 Sep 19.00 – 22.30
Tickets: £50 Venue: Bush Hall, Shepherd's Bush.
Visit www.leiths.com/40.

Wine and Champagne kindly supplied by Louis Latour Agencies UK currently celebrating their 25th Anniversary and Sponsors of Leiths Best Overall Wine Student. http://www.louislatour.co.uk/

Mini Copper Pans supplied for canapé event (and as a gift for all guest) kindly supplied by ProWare Kitchen suppliers of copper pans to Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Forthcoming events:
Leiths Birthday Cake Bake off Competition opens October 2015
In Conversation: 40 Years of Food and Fashion, Thursday 12 November 2015 19:00 – 22:30
In Conversation: 40 Years of Food and Technology, Thursday 28 January 2016
In Conversation: 40 Years of Food Writing, Thursday 25 March 2016

About Leiths

Founded by Prue Leith in October 1975, Caroline Waldegrave was the school's first principal. In 1993 Caroline and Sir Christopher Bland purchased the school and Caroline remained at the helm until 2008. Former Leiths graduate and owner of Divertimenti Cookery School, Camilla Schneideman replaced her and remains the managing director to this day.

Starting their celebrations in September 2015, to coincide with the start of the Diploma course, and ending in September 2016, Leiths will continue its 40th conversation with further panel led talks. The next topic will be 40 Years of Food Fashion looking at food styling and food photography on Thursday 12 November. 2016 will see 40 Years of Food Technology and 40 Years of Food Writing. Other highlights include the 40th birthday bake off with a judging panel including Caroline Waldegrave and John Whaite.

Leiths School of Food and Wine is a first-class training school for chefs, attracting students of all ages from all over the world. With its dedicated teaching staff and friendly atmosphere, Leiths guiding principle is to impart enthusiasm for the trade and instil a lasting love of good food and wine. Many enthusiastic amateurs attend the varied programme of courses and diverse range of special events led by the Leiths experts or guests chefs. For those with professional ambitions, the Leiths Diploma in Food and Wine is highly respected in the culinary world; notable alumni include Lorraine Pascale, Matt Tebbutt, Gizzi Erskine, Florence Knight and Diana Henry.