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Date: Saturday 19 July
Time: 2pm
Location: Dartford Festival, Central Park,
Dartford
Visitors to the Dartford Festival 2008 can meet the new
community chef for Dartford and Gravesham Meryl O'Shea.
With 28 years experience in catering Meryl will draw on a wealth
of knowledge to help families and communities enjoy preparing and
cooking a range of affordable fresh and wholesome dishes.
She will be travelling around Dartford and Gravesham in the
coming months visiting local events and projects - starting with
the Dartford Festival on Saturday 19 July, which boasts glittering
entertainment, local bands and tons of top fun with sideshows,
stalls and arts and crafts.
Meryl said: "I'm looking forward to my debut at the Dartford
Festival and being on the same bill as Jason Donovan! In all
seriousness, this is a fantastic opportunity to change hearts and
minds about food. Yes it's the easy thing to put a ready meal in
the microwave but I want to show people how much better it is, and
satisfying, to cook fresh meals at home."
Meryl will also be starting cookery courses catering for
beginners through to people who want to enhance their culinary
skills.
The community chef project was one of Kent County Council's
Towards 2010 programme targets - a groundbreaking vision of the
county's future. Reasons for its introduction include the great
deal of evidence that links healthy eating to overall physical
health and well-being, improved levels of concentration for
children and helping to manage a healthy weight in the whole
family.
KCC Cabinet Member for Education Operations, Resources and
Skills
Mark
Dance said: "I wish Meryl every success as Dartford and
Gravesham's community chef. We all know the importance of a healthy
lifestyle and through the community chef project I hope people will
realise the cost benefits and how enjoyable it can be to learn new
skills and cook fresh food quickly and conveniently."
The community chef project is supported by Kent County Council,
West Kent Primary Care Trust and St Edmunds Church Living Well, a
local community partnership organisation funded by KCC to deliver
the project.
Meryl is the second community chef in Kent. Earlier this year
Mike Spackman took up a similar role on the Isle of
Sheppey. |