A new project ‘Knives Against Knives’ has recently launched with the aim to help young people at risk of knife crime off the streets of London and into kitchens.
The brainchild of Ali Dickinson and Jack Walker, Creative Directors at ‘Who Wot Why’ along with Bridie Scriven, the project will launch a charity cookbook with all the funds raised put into cookery training programmes.
The cookbook will feature recipes from chefs and restaurateurs alongside basic knife skills, safety tips, cutting techniques, butchery tutorials and stories about chefs who have used cookery to turn their lives around.
The project comes at a vital time with reports from January 2020 claiming knife crime is at a record high. Figures released by the Office of National Statistics revealed a 7% rise in offences involving knives or sharp objects. The ‘Knives Against Knives’ initiative recognises the societal problem with knife crime and aims to tackle this issue by providing young people at risk with means to get off the streets and offering them a network to skills and training to kickstart a career in the industry.
Walker said: “We believe the hospitality industry can give young people the confidence and opportunities to build positive futures for themselves. We want to show how putting knives in children’s hands can be a force for good with the right training.”
Operators featured in the book so far include Kricket, Rosa’s Thai, HG Walter, Chick ‘n; Sours and Pastaio as well as chefs Clare Smyth, Chris Galvin, Ben Tish, Ixta Belfrage and Levi Roots.
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