UK's first cookery school for people with cancer to open next month

The UK's first cookery school for people with cancer, Life Kitchen at the Lodge, is set to open at Mowbray Park in Sunderland on 4 June.

The non-profit organisation is launching following a successful fundraising campaign and support from local and national businesses such as Sir Robert McAlpine and Ryder Architecture.

It will host frequent cooking classes and double up as an outreach space for local people, and all cookery classes will be free for people living with cancer.

Food writer and stylist, and Sunderland native Ryan Riley founded Life Kitchen in memory of his mother Krista, who passed away from small cell lung cancer in 2014. Like many, she struggled with loss of taste and appetite during chemotherapy treatment.

Riley started doing Life Kitchen pop ups last year to to offer free cooking classes for people living with the disease and bring back the flavours and joy of cooking and eating through accessible and creative recipes. He has worked closely with Professor Barry Smith from the University of London to create a menu that is suitable for cancer patients and their sensitive and changing tastebuds.

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