Edward lays down law to be a cook

5:10pm Wednesday 31st May 2006

A young chef will be giving up his free time to whip up meals at a community caf before starting a new career in law.

Edward Mowlam, 23, will work two days a week in the kitchens of the Diamond Community Caf which opens next month, serving up hot, nutritious meals.

His stint as a volunteer chef will be one of his last as he prepares to start a law degree at Bradford University.

The caf, which was mainly funded with £30,000 from Bradford Primary Care Trust, will mostly cater for the elderly and people with learning disabilities.

Trained chef Edward said he enjoyed giving up his time to help at community projects.

The former St Mary's Catholic School pupil from Shipley said he had begun volunteering his cooking skills at the HALE project in Shipley.

"I started working on their allotments and cooking, it's a really good group and it's good to do something," he said.

Edward, who will begin the first year of a law degree at the University of Bradford this year, said he would try to tempt diners with his specialist skills as a pastry chef.

But he also said the emphasis of the Diamond Community Caf would be on good, affordable food.

Caf co-ordinator Jenny Siddons said: "It will promote healthy meals and healthy living.

"There is quite a few sheltered housing groups around here, and the residents are desperate for somewhere else they can go."

Miss Siddons said the venue would be used as a contact point for people wanting to socialise, and those wanting to be linked with other community projects.

Information on healthy living and lifestyles will be high on the caf agenda.

And cooking courses will also be on the menu, with simple dishes being taught to people with learning disabilities.

Miss Siddons said she hoped there would be scope to enrol people on to NVQ courses in the future.

"It all depends what people want, what they ask for," she said.

She said the caf would only initially be able to provide hot meals on Thursdays and Fridays when Edward was in the kitchen. But she said she hoped to find another chef in order to roll out the hot menu throughout the week.

"We are calling for people to volunteer, we aim to give people good food and get some of them into healthier lifestyles," she said.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Choudhary Rangzeb, will attend the official opening of the Diamond Community Caf on Sunday, June 7.

e-mail: rebecca.wright @bradford.newsquest.co.uk