Chefs in the Classroom – edible education is an initiative of the Okanagan Chefs Association with a curriculum created by a volunteer team of chefs, associates, and educators. Modeled after other successful edible education classes all over North America, Chefs in the Classroom is unique in that it is an Okanagan inspired, hands-on curriculum with links to our Aboriginal community and practices.

On receiving the invitation to present to 50 students as part of the Royal Visit at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, the Chefs in the Classroom committee assembled a ‘Royal Visit’ class curriculum of interactive stations for the students to experience including fruit and vegetable tasting and identification, the making of fresh pasta sauce and with the bounty of apples in the Okanagan readily available, apple sauce was also part of the lesson plan.

The class was in ‘session’ when the Duke and Duchess arrived and they wandered from station to station chatting with the students and our Chef presenters. The students were proudly wearing their newly decorated chef hats along with chef jackets and aprons generously provided by our hosts for the day, Mission Hill Family Estate Winery.

Both the Duke and Duchess showed great interest in the program and were enthusiastic about their support for the Okanagan Chefs Association’s initiative. It was a unique worldwide opportunity to present this homegrown edible education program.

After the Royal couple departed, each student took home a jar of Chefs in the Classroom applesauce and recipes to make both the apple sauce and pasta sauce at home.

In Spring 2016, six Grade 3 classrooms in School District 23 were involved in the first semester of 7 lessons over a 12- week period from April through June. Planning is currently underway for Spring 2017.