Falling Back in Love with Family Cooking
A mother of three young kids, Nia loves to cook, but between a busy household and the pressure to get nutrition right, finding time to prepare meals from scratch felt impossible.
In 2026, Nia joined Cegin y Bobl’s free Early Years course with Flying Start. Under the guidance of chef Jemma, Nia gained confidence in the kitchen. Over six weeks, she developed skills to ditch ultra-processed foods in favour of delicious, affordable, homemade meals. Today, she’s empowered to give her children the best start, with a special focus on the weaning and postnatal stages that are so vital for those early years.
“I’ve learnt how to get more veg and flavour into my dishes,” said Nia. “It’s a practical way to benefit our health as a family.”
“Sharing the class with other mums, we’ve given each other ideas based on what we’re cooking at home, and discussed how food impacts our health. At the end of each session, participants take home the meal they have cooked together; a meal that can feed the whole family and inspire healthier eating habits.
“My children are excited for Mondays, to see what new dish I bring home to try. This creates an amazing discussion come dinner time. The children now have a great love for food. We choose our weekly meals together so that everyone feels a part of the process.”
Nia’s family have benefited from several activities run by Cegin y Bobl’s team over the last few years. Her daughter’s class took part in a six week Food Discovery course at primary school, exploring new foods and sharing hands-on cooking techniques.
She learnt valuable lessons on not only preparing food but the benefits of eating a varied diet and what different foods can do for the body, said Nia.
“Trying new things that she wouldn’t at home. Gaining confidence, with her friends and trusted chefs present.
Nia,
Cook
“I was lucky enough to sample an amazing meal at the end that she had made all thanks to the encouragement she’d had over the six weeks.”
When an opportunity to join an outdoor cookery workshop became available, Nia took her son along.
“The element of cooking on fire always grasps the attention of our little boy and he was keen to learn. We got to sample amazing local ingredients that we still talk about to this day! This was the start of sparking his interest in cooking. His Christmas list included his own knife set and they have been used constantly since. ”
Nia says that cooking is now a big part of family life.
“My children have a great love for food and we choose our weekly meals together so that everyone feels a part of the whole process. Having them both experience Cegin y Bobl’s classes has really helped them at home. They want to help make tasty meals and now they have the confidence to do so.”
