Ministry of Food

Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food is now open!

Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food was officially opened on Friday 25 June at Kirkgate Market in Leeds city centre. The project is jointly funded by NHS Leeds and Leeds City Council and is run by Zest - Health for Life. Please note the centre is not open on bank holidays.

Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food aims to teach the people of Leeds to cook quick, simple, and healthymeals, then ‘Pass It On’ and teach others how to make them too.

The innovative project is the third of its kind in the UK and the first to be established in a market setting. The facility also provides a HealthPoint; an area where anyone can pop along and get a wide range of health and lifestyle advice such as accessing stop smoking services.

Ten week cookery courses will be delivered in a specially developed kitchen, by staff trained by Jamie Oliver’s team. They will use a range of ingredients largely sourced from the Kirkgate market itself which will ensure people on the cookery course can find everything they need to replicate what they’ve learned at home with their friends, neighbours or families.

Pass It On

Pass It On aims to inspire people who have never cooked to give it a try and then, once they’ve learned the recipes, to teach two other people how to make it too.

Pass It On is all about people sharing their cooking skills with each other in order to get everyone making tasty meals with fresh ingredients again.

This is important because knowing how to cook will be really good not only for your health, but also the future health of the nation.

How to get involved

Courses last for 10 weeks and each lesson lasts for two hours, at the end of each session you will have prepared a meal which you may be able to take home with you.

The centre is open six days a week Monday - Saturday.

There is a nominal charge to cover the cost of ingredients.

There are cookery groups for students and young adults, young families, disabled people, charity organisations, cultural community groups, and the general public.

Places are limited. To join a course you need to pre-book.

To register, or for more information about Ministry of Food or Pass It On please use the online registration form. Alternatively you can drop the centre a line on 0113 242 5685.