We're always looking for volunteers to help us with our project. If you're interested in learning to cook, making new friends, contributing towards responsible food use or looking to gain experience that can go on your CV and go towards your Lancaster Award, sign up through our form.
EcoEats
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EcoEats is a brand new initiative for the academic year 2023/24 that aims to teach students cooking skills, food sustainability and help with the cost of living crisis, by focusing on healthy, nutritious meals on a budget. The idea for EcoEats came from the Green Lancaster ECOChallenge, where students compete together for sustainable ideas that could be implemented at Lancaster University.
The project will feature regular cooking sessions on campus, plus you can download our collection of recipes, where meals cooked during classes can be found so you can make them again.
EcoEats will run events with external partners such as Eggcup, Neighbourly and Green Lancaster who assist with sourcing food, chefs and equipment. We will also run events with groups like Soup Soc, LU Veg, Escape2Make, HelloFresh and Edible Campus.
I’m very interested in sustainability and recycling and with the help of EcoEats, I have learned about healthy eating and how to deal with the high cost of living.
Our goals
EcoEats aims to focus on these three key aims.
Student skills
Cooking is a valuable life skill to have. We aim to equip students with the ability to manage food in a safe and healthy way. 25% of graduates haven't learned to cook by the time they finish university, relying on ready meals. It's also a great way to build community.
Food sustainability
Every Lancaster resident produces on average 140kg of food waste annually. With around 6,500 students on campus and another 10,000 living elsewhere, which could equal over 2,300 tonnes of wasted food. EcoEats aims to use surplus food to use in cooking lessons, thereby reducing that waste.
Cost of living
The cost of living is a burden on all students. Not only will the cooking sessions provide participants with a free nutritious meal but also teach them economical and sustainable food management skills that will help reduce their spending.
Our community
The cooking
We will make a variety of vegetarian and vegan recipes that you can find linked on this page, using base ingredients that you can add your own veg to! You will work in small groups to produce a meal for everyone, using equipment provided by Green Lancaster’s Don’t Ditch It scheme.
Skills
You will learn basic food safety such as correct storage and hygiene. You’ll also learn how to prepare produce using the correct equipment, and general tips for pairing ingredients and how to cook them.
The community
Join a community that’s passionate about cooking sustainably by reducing food waste and using plant-based ingredients. Volunteer with EcoEats to earn experience, work towards your Lancaster Award, or learn cooking skills and meet new people. Members will have the space to choose preferred activities.
Professional training
Volunteers will receive accredited training in food safety and may become eligible to receive an EcoEats t-shirt and apron and to be part of our core team. Cooking sessions will almost always be run by a professional chef, who will teach skills that will set you up for life. There are several spaces on campus where we will hold events, such as Marketplace and Barkers.
Wild foraging
Together with Closing Loops and Food Futures, there will be opportunities to glean produce from the fields to take back and cook within a session, learning how to make meals with a variety of ingredients. We can help with designing foraging activities for Escape2Make’s under 19s Green Club.
I really enjoyed the session I attended. The team were super welcoming and it was great making tasty meals from everyone's leftover ingredients.
