Root Camp is a social enterprise for young people, from all backgrounds and is a response to the growing disconnection between food and its source that exists across all social groups. Ours is a level playing field on which we all participate equally and where teams form and integrate.
Root Camp is predominantly a cookery school. We believe that to really know what is in a dish, you must cook it. That cooking – simply, or ambitiously – is one element of being an independent grown up. It puts us in charge of our decisions and our health. It is a crucial life skill - for all.
Increasingly we are a population of city dwellers. For most of us, the source of food is the shop shelf and ingredients/products have no history, no ancestry and no story.
At Root Camp we like to tell those stories – of provenance, of recipes, of food culture. And we engage in that story, by actively living and working in kitchen and field. We make our meals, we pick vegetables, and we forage - because to be a cook, at any level, it is vital to be in touch with how a vegetable looks in the ground, the kind of people who nurture it, and the process by which ingredients and produce reach our plate.
Root Camp is a pivotal and formative experience.
If you are a catering student: Root Camp gives breadth to your training. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of ingredients; a new range of sensory references; an introduction to the world of farmers, producers and artisan food-makers. As a budding chef, you will have the opportunity to learn from professional chefs, at the top of their game. Working in groups of mixed ability and experience is also a crucial element of life at Root Camp.
If you are studying for the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award: We run six-day courses - ideal for Duke of Edinburgh Gold participants looking to develop your independence, learn new skills and take on new challenges. You will learn how to forage in the wild, pick ingredients from the field, experience new tastes and cook from scratch in our outdoor kitchens. You will learn about food sources and systems and form working partnerships and friendships amongst your peers.
If you are a School/Home Leaver – you will acquire cooking skills and a strong repertoire to use when you embark on your independent life. You will experience the social pleasure of preparing and eating meals with others, and develop an idea of which ingredients are affordable, which dishes are good for fast meals and for slow cooking.
If you are just looking to learn to cook and have fun – you will experience an active and instructive holiday in a beautiful setting. You will meet others from all walks of life, from all parts of the country, in an informal but structured context, close to nature. You will meet people who make their living from the land, and from food. You will be made aware of issues around responsible consumerism, seasonality and the journey from field to plate. Alongside fellow Root Camp students you will explore, forage, source, prepare and eat meals together. You have a great summer holiday amongst friends.
For parents- we provide our participants with new experiences, lots of fun, in a safe but liberating environment. Away from the pressures of school and the familiarity of the family, young people can test their impulse for independence and experiment with new relationships, influences and ideas.
We provide young people with a unique opportunity to learn new life skills in a fun and safe environment. We encourage both independent thinking and teamwork. Root Camp students experience the social pleasure of preparing and eating healthy meals together – from fast food to slow cooking. These are essential skills for a proper grown up life.
Root Camp is committed to providing a minimum of 25% sponsored places, aiming for 50% in 5 years. These attendees are identified by partnerships Root Camp has with educational institutions, catering colleges and charities.
We believe in total inclusion and mix. We are proud of our ethnic, economic and religious diversity. We believe in difference, tolerance and community. We bring together individuals who wouldn’t otherwise meet. Re-unions of Root Camp groups are common. We offer opportunity beyond the curriculum of any school or college.
This year, we implemented a system to measure our impact on our participants using a feedback questionnaire. These were our findings:
· 100% of students are still cooking
· 92% of students have said that Root Camp has changed their eating habits for the better
· 83% of students said that Root Camp has given them confidence
· 75% of students said that Root Camp has improved their teamwork skills
· 42% of students said that Root Camp helped to give them problem-solving skills
· 75% of students said that Root Camp helped give them independence
· 67% of students said that Root Camp helped with their social skills
· 50% of students said that Root Camp helped with their communication skills
· 75% of students said that Root Camp helped with their initiative
· 100% of all students who have taken HE at school said that Root Camp was vastly better in comparison
· 67% of students have used Root Camp on their CVs
· 58% of students have said that Root Camp has affected their decisions with jobs and career
· 75% of students have said that Root Camp has affected where and how they buy food, ie buying more organic and free-range products
· 83% of students said that they now consider the sustainability and seasonality of food.
Root Camp is a not-for-profit organisation. Any accumulated reserves are reinvested into the business, in order to increase the number of assisted places develop new programmes and expand our reach.