DUKE OF ED_EAT WELL LIVE WELL PROGRAM

Eat Well, Live Well by Roving Larder Cooking School

Kitchen Fundamentals | 13-Week Duke of Ed Skills Program

Cook with Confidence. Eat with Joy.

Next program starts: Wednesday 22 July 2026

Eat Well, Live Well is a practical, hands-on cooking and food confidence program designed to help young people build real kitchen skills, better food habits, and a stronger understanding of how everyday cooking supports wellbeing.

This 13-week program includes Roving Larder’s 8-week Kitchen Fundamentals course, extended with 5 additional Duke of Ed Skills hours through guided food-learning activities, reflection tasks and excursions.

The program is suitable for students who want to develop cooking as their Duke of Edinburgh Skills section, subject to approval by their school or Award Leader.

Students will learn how to cook from scratch, understand ingredients, shop more confidently, reduce waste, use leftovers creatively, and enjoy food as part of a balanced and connected life.

Program Structure

Total duration: 13 weeks
Total guided Skills hours: 13 hours
Core cooking sessions: 8 hands-on kitchen classes
Extension sessions: 5 additional food skills hours
Excursions: 3 guided food-learning excursions
Start date: Wednesday 22 July 2026
Finish date: Wednesday 14 October 2026

Students are responsible for making their own way to and from excursion meeting points. Transport to and from excursion locations is not the responsibility of Roving Larder Cooking School.

Week-by-Week Program

Knife Skills

Students learn the foundations of safe and confident knife work, including chopping, dicing and julienne cuts, as well as kitchen safety and smart preparation habits.

Main dish:
Colourful Market Veg Stir-Fry with Ginger-Soy Glaze
Chicken or tofu option available.

Leftover ideas:
Golden Egg Fried Rice
Fridge Rescue Frittata

Stock & Sauce Basics

Students build flavour from the ground up by learning how to make simple stocks and sauces that can transform everyday meals.

Main dish:
Slow-Simmered Chicken & Corn Soup with From-Scratch Stock

Leftover ideas:
Ramen-Style Noodle Bowl
Risotto-Style Creamy No-Stir Stock Rice

Egg Mastery

Students explore the techniques behind reliable egg cookery, from timing and temperature control to using eggs in quick meals.

Main dish:
Smoky Shakshuka with Soft Eggs & Warm Flatbread

Leftover ideas:
Eggs in Salads, Sandwiches and Wraps
Baked Grab-and-Go Savoury Egg Muffins

Sautéing & Pan-Frying

Students learn how to cook fast, flavour-packed dishes with good texture, colour and confidence.

Main dish:
Golden Pan-Fried Fish with Lemon-Caper Butter Sauce

Leftover ideas:
Zesty Fish Tacos with Crunchy Slaw
Power Grain Bowl

Pasta from Scratch

Students mix, roll and shape fresh pasta, then learn how to pair it with simple sauces they can recreate at home.

Main dish:
Spinach & Ricotta Handmade Ravioli with Tomato Basil Sugo

Leftover ideas:
Silky Handmade Pasta with Hearty Tomato Sauce
Homemade Pasta with Garlicky Crumb Topping

Essential Grains & Legumes

Students learn how pantry staples can become hearty, nutritious and affordable meals.

Main dish:
Warm Moroccan Chickpea & Vegetable Tagine with Fluffy Couscous

Leftover ideas:
Crispy Smashed Chickpea Wraps
Roasted Capsicums Stuffed with Couscous & Tagine

Baking Basics

Students learn the foundations of simple everyday baking, including flatbreads, muffins and reliable baking habits.

Main dish:
Warm Homemade Flatbread with Roast Vegetables & Herby Yoghurt

Leftover ideas:
Rustic Panzanella Bread Salad
Anytime Sweet Breakfast Muffins

Creating a Complete Meal

Students bring together the skills developed across the course to plan, prepare and serve a complete meal.

Focus skills:
Menu planning
Preparation timing
Balanced meals
Presentation
Teamwork
Reducing food waste
Cooking with confidence

Menu:
Designed with the students during the week, using the skills and techniques learned throughout the program.

Duke of Ed Skills Extension Hours

Food Planning & Smart Shopping Workshop

Students learn how to plan meals for the week, write a practical shopping list, compare ingredients, manage a budget and think about nutrition, waste and leftovers.

Skills focus:
Meal planning
Budgeting
Reading labels
Food waste reduction
Creating a simple weekly food plan

Student task:
Create a one-week meal plan with a matching shopping list.

Excursion 1: Supermarket Skills — Coles or Woolworths Aisle Walk

Students meet at an agreed supermarket location and learn how to navigate the aisles with confidence.

Skills focus:
Reading labels
Comparing unit prices
Identifying ultra-processed foods
Understanding fresh, frozen and pantry options
Choosing ingredients for balanced meals
Recognising marketing tricks and impulse-buy traps

Important note:
Students must make their own way to and from the supermarket meeting point. Roving Larder Cooking School is not responsible for student transport.

Student task:
Complete a guided supermarket challenge and identify ingredients for one affordable balanced meal.

Excursion 2: Produce Market Visit — Northside Produce Market, North Sydney

Students visit the produce market to explore seasonal ingredients, speak with producers where appropriate, and understand how food moves from farm to table.

Skills focus:
Seasonal produce
Local food systems
Ingredient quality
Food provenance
Asking good questions
Shopping beyond the supermarket

Important note:
Students must make their own way to and from the market meeting point. Roving Larder Cooking School is not responsible for student transport.

Student task:
Choose one seasonal ingredient and explain how it could be used in a simple home-cooked meal.

Excursion 3: Commercial or Community Kitchen Visit

Proposed options include a TAFE commercial cookery kitchen, a community food organisation such as One Meal, or another suitable food-based learning environment, subject to availability and approval.

Skills focus:
Kitchen systems
Food safety
Food service at scale
Community food work
Professional kitchen habits
How cooking skills can support others

Important note:
Students must make their own way to and from the excursion meeting point. Roving Larder Cooking School is not responsible for student transport.

Student task:
Write a short reflection on what they observed and how kitchen skills can be used in real life, work or community settings.

Final Reflection, Skills Review & Personal Cooking Plan

Students review what they have learned across the program and create a realistic personal cooking plan they can continue at home.

Skills focus:
Confidence check
Personal progress
Favourite techniques
Cooking goals
Simple meal planning
Duke of Ed Skills reflection support

Student task:
Complete a final reflection and create a personal “I can cook this now” list of recipes, techniques and habits they want to keep practising.

Students are responsible for making their own way to and from all excursion meeting points. Roving Larder Cooking School does not provide transport and is not responsible for student travel arrangements.

Exact excursion dates, times, locations and meeting points will be confirmed before the program begins.

Full 13-week Eat Well, Live Well Skills Program:
$1,150 per student

This includes 8 hands-on cooking sessions plus 5 additional practical Skills extension hours.

A 10% discount is available for students enrolling through partnering schools and Duke of Ed agents, including organisations such as Youth Advance.

Discounted partner rate:
$1,035 per student

Individual class attendance may be available where suitable, but may not meet Duke of Ed Skills requirements unless approved separately by the student’s Award Leader.

This program is designed to support students who wish to use cooking and food skills as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Skills section.

Students and families should confirm suitability with their school or Duke of Ed Award Leader before enrolling. Roving Larder Cooking School can provide a program outline and attendance record to support the student’s Skills evidence, where required.

By the end of the program, students will have developed practical kitchen confidence, a stronger understanding of everyday food choices, and a set of cooking skills they can use at home for life.

They will be able to plan simple meals, shop more thoughtfully, cook from scratch, reduce waste, use leftovers creatively and understand how food connects to wellbeing, independence and community.

Eat well. Live well. Cook with confidence.s