Evaluation of the Delivery of Jamie's Ministry of Food

Aim

Jamie's Ministry of Food (JMoF) is designed to increase awareness of healthy food and equip participants with the skills and confidence to cook simple, healthy and tasty meals using fresh, seasonal produce sourced locally. The program aims to provide stimulus for community action for healthy eating.

Key Papers

Project Summary

JMoF was pioneered as a community-based cooking skills program in Rotherham, UK in 2008 and since then, other centres have opened in Bradford and Leeds and a mobile centre in the North West of the UK.

The first Australian site opened in Ipswich, Queensland in April 2011 co-funded by a local philanthropic non-government organisation (NGO), The Good Foundation (TGF), and the Queensland Department of Health. Ipswich was intentionally chosen given its significant low socio-economic status population and increasing levels of overweight and obesity.

JMoF was established in Victoria in 2012 with a permanent site in Geelong offering the standard 10 week cooking course, and a mobile kitchen that offers a shorter 5 week course in different locations across Victoria. It was funded by the Victorian Department of Health and was intended to contribute to the overall goals of Healthy Together Victoria and the Victorian Healthy Eating Enterprise, to create a healthy eating culture in Victoria.

Mixed method evaluations of both the Ipswich and Victorian programs were conducted to determine health, social and economic impacts, and to examine the differences between the 10 week and 5 week courses. Evaluation results will inform government policies, public and private funders as well as the wider international research community interested in the effectiveness of cooking skills programs as a vehicle to individual health benefit and reduced inequalities.

Partners

Deakin University

The Good Foundation

Queensland Department of Health

Victorian Department of Health

The Centre of Excellence for Intervention and Prevention Science (CEIPs)

Project Team

  • Vale Prof Elizabeth Waters
    Vale Prof Elizabeth Waters, Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program
  • A/Prof Lisa Gibbs
    A/Prof Lisa Gibbs, Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program
  • Prof Marj Moodie
    Prof Marj Moodie, Deakin University
  • Prof Boyd Swinburn
    Prof Boyd Swinburn, Deakin University
  • Anna Flego
    Anna Flego, Deakin University
  • Jessica Herbert
    Jessica Herbert, Deakin University
  • Dana Young
    Dana Young, Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program

Contact