Too many cooks not a problem in Dunshaughlin

Tesco Ireland is continuing the rollout of Stronger Starts Cooks, a free six-week programme supporting children’s health, wellbeing, and practical life skills.

St. Seachnalls National School in Dunshaughlin is currently taking part in the Stronger Starts Cooks programme, which will see over 30 5th class pupils taking part.

Almost 3,000 primary school pupils across 42 schools have successfully completed the programme in 2025, giving them hands-on experience with cooking, nutrition, and food education.

Stronger Starts Cooks is a programme that aims to inspire a lifelong love of food and cooking, encourage healthy eating, and highlight the value of home-made meals to primary school children. Developed alongside teachers and a qualified dietician, the programme supports classroom learning while helping children build real-life skills in a fun and memorable way.

Delivered mainly to 5th class pupils (with flexibility for 4th and 6th), the six-week experience includes a hands-on cooking workshop and lessons in food science, food safety and healthy eating.

Among the highlights is a visit to a local Tesco store, where students explore the journey of food from farm to shelf, take part in a budgeting challenge, enjoy food sampling sessions, and get to see behind the scenes of a busy shop environment.

The programme has already received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 95% of pupils saying they enjoyed the experience.

Deirdre Corrigan, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Tesco Ireland said: “Stronger Starts Cooks is about giving children practical skills they can carry with them for life. By helping them learn how to prepare simple, nutritious meals, the programme supports healthier choices and builds positive relationships with food from a young age. The feedback to date has been overwhelmingly positive and we are so excited to continue rolling out the programme to more schools and communities across Ireland.”