Willowtown Community Primary School in Ebbw Vale was delighted to welcome Rocio Cifuentes, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, for a special visit to celebrate the pupils’ newly published community recipe book. This is an ambitious, pupil‑led project that brings together food, culture and creativity.
During the visit, pupils proudly showcased a selection of dishes from the book, giving the Commissioner the chance to sample recipes gathered from families across the school’s diverse local community. The event offered a hands‑on insight into the pupils’ work, which saw them research, write, design and illustrate the entire publication themselves.
The child‑friendly cookbook, created to encourage families to cook together and build confidence in the kitchen, has been professionally produced and carries an official ISBN -making the pupils published authors at a young age.
The Children’s Commissioner praised pupils’ creativity and achievement, saying:
“The pupils should be extremely proud of their achievement. They have captured a wonderful collection of recipes including family favourites passed down through generations, representing a range of cultures and heritages including Polish, Lithuanian and Welsh. Their creativity shines through not only in the range of dishes they chose to share, but also in the way they helped shape the book’s design with illustrations inspired by their own drawings, becoming published authors at such a young age. To have their names printed inside the book is an exceptional accomplishment - something not many children can say so early in life.
“It was a pleasure to be invited to see first-hand the dedication and passion each pupil has brought to this project. I am very much looking forward to trying out some of their recipes myself.”
Blaenau Gwent Council is currently exploring the Blaenau Gwent Deal, a new approach to working with communities to address inequalities and build healthier, more resilient neighbourhoods. Willowtown’s work in food education and community wellbeing reflects the values at the heart of this approach.
Headteacher Mel Evans said:
“This project is a fantastic example of pupil voice and creative learning in action. Our children have worked incredibly hard to produce something meaningful that celebrates both learning and community. We were delighted to welcome the Children’s Commissioner to share in their success.”
Book available now!
Copies of the recipe book can be purchased from the school or via Amazon, and it will also be stocked at this year’s Hay Festival. Local businesses interested in stocking the book are encouraged to contact the school directly.
