“I wanted to help youth see what cooking is actually like” – Xiao’s Story

As part of the In Our Nature project, we ran sessions at HideOut Youth Zone in Gorton, encouraging young people to learn about low carbon cooking. Vegan West African Chef Ngwafu Tansie provided plant-based recipes and taught the young people how to cook the dishes.

Joining Ngwafu as a volunteer to help run the sessions, 16 year old Xaio wanted to get more practical experience in the world of youth work, as well as learning more plant-based dishes to fuel his ambitions of becoming a chef.

I wanted to help youth see what cooking is actually like, and see if they want to actually get into it as a career. I also enjoy cooking and teaching other people how to cook what I’ve learned

Xaio had previous experience with low carbon cooking, having worked for a vegan café at 14 and spending his days at the HideOut Youth Zone’s training kitchen. This inspired him to study professional cookery at college and get involved with the project.

When asked what advice he would give to those wanting to eat more sustainable, Xaio said:

To get low carbon, just go to more of a local produce shop, like a farm shop

In the future, Xaio hopes to upskill himself more through volunteering and work experience, in the hopes of becoming a chef that can cater for all dietary needs.

Find out more about the project and In Our Nature: