Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor visited the London charity kitchen of Akshaya Patra, a 24-year-old Indian-origin organisation that feeds nearly 2.25 million children every day, in at schools and places of education in the UK and India.
Akshaya Patra's first UK kitchen opened in north London in 2020 and since then the children's food charity has served over 700,000 meals. Kapoor, a popular television personality and food ambassador, met the charity's team of chefs last week to share a variety of recipes and tips on making delicious food that is simple yet nutritious and cost-effective yet flavourful.
Sanjeev Kapoor said: "It is an important day in my life. To visit the first international kitchen of an Indian origin charity that feeds millions of children for the purpose of education. Here in the UK, there is a lot of food poverty and the numbers are staggering.
“Kudos to the dedicated Akshaya Patra UK team for creating a difference in the United Kingdom. The UK's need is very different, and the team here has come up with a unique model to fill the gap in this part of the world.
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“Good food doesn't have to be expensive and nutritious food doesn't have to taste bad. Akshaya Patra is a pioneer in attracting disadvantaged children to schools by serving food daily. What a unique way to use the power of food as a vehicle for learning!"
He prepared a vibrant and flavourful pasta dish with freshly made sauce and seasonal vegetables, and cut up a crunchy and tasty salad to go with it.
Daniel Adams, CEO of Akshaya Patra UK, said: "Akshaya Patra has a long history of delivering transformative school meals programme. It is a sad reality for a country such as the UK, that a charity like Akshaya Patra needs to get involved in supporting children's nutritional needs and help them make most of their education. We provide meals in after-school clubs in schools as part of our ‘Hot Meals and Homework’ clubs.
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"Here in Watford, our team of cooks are working hard to develop brilliant dishes full of nutrition and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's visit, his wisdom in cooking will be very beneficial for us to cater to the diverse British palate."
Akshaya Patra in Sanskrit translates as an inexhaustible pot of food and is a movement to tackle hunger and malnutrition in disadvantaged children.
*Info: Akshaya Patra UK
