Mum-of-two’s mission to teach one million people budget cooking with 50p meals

Nation Cymru staff

A mum-of-two is expanding low-cost plant-based cookery workshops across north Wales as demand grows from struggling communities.

Passionate foodie Lisa Hinze, co-founder of VegEd says her long-term ambition is to build a nationwide network of “Vegucators” and teach one million people to cook healthy meals on a budget.

The social enterprise which already works in North Wales, Cheshire, and Merseyside is recruiting two new team members or Vegucators this year as it scales up its community workshops.

Lisa attributes the growth of VegEd says to colleagues at Chartered Accountants Coxeys, who have offices in Wrexham, Saltney and Chester and have played a vital role in supporting them to become a Community Interest Company and secure National Lottery funding.

The former Coxeys associate now works with rough sleepers, ex-offenders, children on free school meals and adults with learning difficulties, teaching families how to cook meals for as little as 50p per person.

Lisa, who hails from Wrexham and now lives in Chester, said: “I work with a lot of underserved and marginalised communities which suffer financial hardship.

“People think Chester is quite an affluent area but there are big pockets of communities within the city that need support.

“I work with ex-offenders, rough sleepers, and children and adults with special educational needs, along with holiday clubs where children who attend can be on free school meals.

“I also work with people with learning disabilities, and young adults with complex care needs.

“It has blossomed so much that I now work in Merseyside, North Wales, and Cheshire East, which is up to Macclesfield, Crewe, Winsford and Northwich.

“Our workshops use food that doesn’t cost the earth and all our lessons are veggie-centric, and so it doesn’t cost the planet either.

“The support of Coxeys’ has been invaluable. They sponsor VegEd and do our accounts and if I ever have any kind of query I can just pick up the phone to them.

“They have been instrumental in giving us the confidence in what we are doing.

“For example, having not worked in the charity sector before, I was advised by Coxeys that not-for-profits like to work with other not-for-profits because it is more beneficial to apply for funding for collaborations and partnerships.

“So with the help of Coxeys and their advice, we incorporated and founded VegEd CIC.

“That helped us to raise funds and we were awarded National Lottery funding to deliver another 36 cookery workshops and also buy kit to take on our first vegucator.”

According to Coxeys Managing Director Anthony Lewis, the company was proud to play a role in the growth of VegEd.

He said: “What VegEd are doing is superb, especially nowadays when there is a ongoing cost of living crisis.

“Many people are struggling now, and what Lisa is doing makes a huge difference to them helping eat for less and often healthier at the same time.

“When you go to a supermarket and see what meat costs for example, learning to cook more veg is something which could help a lot of people.

“It has been wonderful to see VegEd grow in the way it has, and we are so proud to see how far they have come.”

Lisa added that the VegEd’s workshops can be held in all communities and she usually runs courses over six weeks, with the sessions being made accessible and inclusive for all.

She said: “I take the cookery school to the community, I turn up with all the kit, all the equipment and all the ingredients and a lovely team of volunteers.

“All I need is a room with sockets, tables and water.

“A lot of what keeps my homeless community coming back to me is the hot meal at the end of the session.

“Our two-hour workshops can be a stand-alone event, though they are typically held over six weeks because that means we can build up on that foundation of knowledge.

“The meals we make are simple, quick and easy. Most of my dishes work out at about 50p per head when you add it up.

“The meals are all traditional dishes with a plant-based twist, so it is classic food such as stews, casseroles, soups, and foods from around the world such as noodles, stir-fried dishes, curries.

“It is also a social thing, a lot of people in our communities don’t often eat with other people, so it combats loneliness.”

The workshops began in 2023 with VegEd holding 90 sessions, and this year it is looking to hold 230 sessions, and in the first two years VegEd taught cooking skills to 1,100 people.

The goal is to teach 10,000 people by 2030 and have at least 10 vegucators in place.

Lisa said: “The overall aim is to be nationwide and have a vegucator in every major city.

“I see us growing organically from the North West, we’re already in Merseyside and North Wales now, and then on to Manchester and to Yorkshire and then growing out.”

Lisa is supported in the initiative by her partner Rupert Frazer Worden, a Michelin-trained chef who trained at the prestigious Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, and who is a VegEd director.

Lisa said: “Rupert is in charge of the strategy of VegEd, and his knowledge and education underpins the standard and the delivery of the workshops we deliver.

“I grew up in a family of six and my mum Ann has MS and my dad worked long hours so I cooked for the family from the age of 10 and looked after all my siblings.

“I got my love of cooking off my mum, she is an amazing cook.

VegEd also has a kitchen space in a building at Chester Business Park where Lisa perfects new recipes, prepares for her workshops and films online courses.

VegEd has also developed a barista foundation skills course aimed at getting young people into the workplace.

Lisa’s son Mike, who works in the specialty coffee industry, delivers the course.

Lisa said: “We were sponsored with our kit by Cheshire Coffee and we have a portable commercial machine, which is amazing.