VfL visits Manchester museum

In recent years, Manchester's historic Platt Hall housed the Gallery of Costume, but the only costume VfL Roving Chef Alex required for the day was his chef's hat.

Chef Alex has given number of healthy cookery classes at Platt Hall. Because these were so popular he was invited to an open day held by Platt Hall to add some fun with food as well as to promote a healthy diet. The building, which is part of Manchester Art Gallery, is undergoing a period of transformation into a museum with a “hyper-local focus”.

Alex demonstrated veggie dishes as part of its broader focus on into how cooking and sharing food and drink can bring together people. He gave an hour-long demonstration, after which attendees enjoyed the food together.

“The staff on the team always join us for lunch,” says Alex. “The emphasis is healthy, so the recipes are high in fibre, but low in fat and salt.”

Alex says he designed the demonstration to broaden the palate. “In many ways, the session is about finding new flavours without the unhealthy stuff,” he says. “So there was no deep frying. Instead, there were lots of fresh herbs and spices, colourful ingredients like peppers and sweet potatoes.”

Alex stressed that portion size and variety are important aspects of healthy eating. “It is very easy to eat more than we really need,” he says. “Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables with a good amount of protein is key to a healthy diet.”

He adds that a good diet compliments other areas of our lives: “Of course a healthy lifestyle goes beyond just what we eat – exercise, company, sleep, stress all play a part, but eating a good healthy diet is a great start to improve health.”

If you're interested in hosting a cookery demonstration in the North West, contact VfL:

alex@vegetarianforlife.org.uk or 0161 257 0887.