{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"","standfirst":"We\u2019ve had a Chef badge since 1909, almost the very start of Scouts. Today, helping young people learn cooking skills remains as important as ever. ","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019ve teamed up with \u003Ca href=\u0022/supporters/hellofresh/\u0022 title=\u0022HelloFresh\u0022\u003EHelloFresh\u003C/a\u003E to update our Chef Activity badge for Scouts (aged 10 \u00BD to 14), using new research commissioned by HelloFresh from OnePoll. The study has revealed that 99% of parents think it\u2019s important for young people to learn how to cook, and 90% of young people agree. But 55% of young people don\u2019t feel confident cooking for themselves or others.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/m3pddut1/ainsley-harriott-with-scouts.jpg","width":2100,"height":1400,"altText":"Ainsley Harriott and two Scouts smile while giving a thumbs up to the camera.","caption":"Ainsley Harriott joined a group of Scouts for the launch of our updated Chef Activity Badge","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003ECooking remains one of the most valued life skills, but young people are unable to rustle up dishes such as soup (62%), or curry (68%), or even identify recommended portion sizes for everyday food items including vegetables (62%).\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help close this skill gap, we\u2019ve refreshed the badge requirements to be more relevant to young people today, including a new focus on reducing food waste. This launch brings fresh energy and relevance to a long-standing Scouting skill.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022/scouts/activity-badges/chef/\u0022 title=\u0022Chef\u0022\u003EChef Activity Badge\u003C/a\u003E gives young people the chance to build real confidence in cooking, offering a modern update shaped by the growing demand for practical life skills.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/pxel25ci/scouts-cooking.jpg","width":2100,"height":1400,"altText":"Ainsley Harriott watches as three Scouts chop vegetables.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EAinsley Harriott, respected Chef and food education enthusiast, joined a group of Scouts at the launch. He said: \u0027It\u2019s absolutely brilliant that HelloFresh is partnering with Scouts in order to encourage them to develop their taste in food.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0027Cooking is one of the greatest gifts you can give a young person. When they learn how to chop, stir, taste and portion properly, you can see their confidence grow. Scouts already do brilliant things with food, this badge gives them even more reason to get stuck in.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/vrhlu12s/ainsley-harriott-talking-to-scouts.jpg","width":2100,"height":1400,"altText":"Ainsley Harriott smiles while talking to three Scouts.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EMarion, aged 11, a Scout who trialled the badge said: \u0027I loved trying the new Chef\u2019s Badge. I learnt so many new skills like how to chop properly and make a meal from scratch. I didn\u2019t realise how much difference the right portion size makes. I\u2019m excited to try the recipes again at home.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough our refreshed requirements and new activities, Scouts working on the badge will be given opportunities to learn and test their understanding of food storage and meal planning, develop their basic kitchen skills using a range of utensils and even build on their teamwork skills to cook speedy, healthy meals \u2013 with new recipes and menu cards provided.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnePoll\u2019s study found that more than 1 in 5 adults said that \u2018not planning in advance\u2019 and \u2018struggling to organise what food they have\u2019 stops them from reducing food waste at home. Participants also said that meal planning, portion guidance, storage advice and cooking skills are the top things which would make reducing food waste easier. Our new activities, created alongside HelloFresh, are designed to build these skills in young people from the start of their cooking journey to make reducing food waste easier later in life.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/rxobxmc3/chef-badge-launch.jpg","width":2100,"height":1446,"altText":"Ainsley Harriott stands with a big group of Scouts smiling at the camera, while one holds up a large Chef Badge.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/about-us/our-people/chief-scout/\u0022 title=\u0022Chief Scout\u0022\u003EDwayne Fields, UK Chief Scout\u003C/a\u003E, said: \u0027I\u2019m thrilled to see our reimagined Chef\u2019s Badge launch today in partnership with HelloFresh. Cooking is one of the most important skills a young person can learn, it builds confidence, independence and a real understanding of the world around them. This badge gives Scouts the chance to cook tasty meals, understand portioning and reduce waste, all while gaining practical skills they\u2019ll use for life. That\u2019s what Scouting is about: helping young people grow into capable, thoughtful citizens who can make a positive difference.\u0027\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe hope that our refreshed Chef Activity Badge will give young people the opportunity to gain the life skills and confidence that the research shows they both want and need. \u0026nbsp;\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"09 March 2026","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Learn more about the Chef Activity Badge","url":"/scouts/activity-badges/chef/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Order the Chef Activity Badge from Scout Store","url":"https://shop.scouts.org.uk/new-in/scouts-chef-activity-badge-hello-fresh-114321","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Find out more about HelloFresh","url":"/supporters/hellofresh/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Activity ideas supported by HelloFresh","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/?name=hellofresh","newWindow":false}],"id":89038,"nodeName":"Chef Activity Badge launch","title":"Scouts launch updated Chef Activity Badge as research reveals gap in young people\u2019s cooking skills","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/m3pddut1/ainsley-harriott-with-scouts.jpg?cc=0,0.015525000373856622,0,0.14072499962614338\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dcb14efe3390f0","caption":"Ainsley Harriott With Scouts","type":"jpg","size":1516812,"width":2100,"height":1400,"altText":"Ainsley Harriott and two Scouts smile while giving a thumbs up to the camera."},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Scouts launch updated Chef Activity Badge as research reveals gap in young people\u2019s cooking skills","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"We\u2019ve had a Chef badge since 1909, almost the very start of Scouts. Today, helping young people learn to cook is as important as ever.","browserTitle":"Scouts launch updated Chef Activity Badge as research reveals gap in young people\u2019s cooking skills","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC84OTAzOCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2026/march/chef-activity-badge-launch/"}