At the prestigious World Gourmand Cookbook Awards ‘Cook with Kids’ by Rob Kirby, Chef Director at Lexington Catering was awarded ‘Best Fundraising & Charity Cookbook 2011.’
On Tuesday 6th March, the annual awards ceremony, attended by some of the world’s leading chefs, writers and publishers, took place at the iconic Folies Bergère Theatre, Paris. The book, published by Absolute Press, is aimed at getting families cooking together with simple, tasty recipes that are packed with flavour, whilst raising essential funds for the Children’s Hospital School at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). The annual Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau and honour the very best food and wine books from across the globe.
‘Cook with Kids’ competed against a large number of international books to be named the Best Fundraising, Charity and Community Cookbook in Europe. ‘Cook with Kids’ evolved from Rob’s 10 years experiences of teaching cookery at the Children’s Hospital School as part of the Academy of Culinary Arts ‘Adopt a School’ programme. The cookery sessions at Great Ormond Street look at cooking in a fun and refreshing way by exploring different tastes, textures and aromas with the children. The book features some of the recipes that Rob and the children have cooked in these sessions along with some of his family’s meal time favourites including a few ‘blasts from the past’ with a modern twist.
Rob Kirby says “I am so very proud to receive such an honour with my first book. For me ‘Cook with Kids’ highlights the fun that cooking and eating together as a family can be. To do this whilst also raising funds is key for me, being able to contribute to the fantastic, compassionate and vital work that the Children’s Hospital School does. I dedicate this award to the work that Carole Flynn and all the GOSH staff do, day in, day out, in trying to bring some normality, fun and routine to the children’s lives. The look and feel of the book is down to key players at Absolute Press and the very talented photographer Lara Holmes who totally understood what I wanted to achieve in its beauty and style.”
The book retails at £9.99 with all royalties going to the Children’s Hospital School at Great Ormond Street and is on sale at most major book stores and online retailers.
