Writing a Recipe Workshop
As part of 'Beyond the Plate' we worked with 80 children in year three to explore their food heritage through poetry and recipe writing. The following resource fuses elements of the two together in a workshop plan for the classroom. There are ideas for extension activities inspired by our work in Beyond the Plate.
Age:
8-year-olds (Year 3 / KS2)
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Duration:
60–75 minutes (can be split into two sessions)
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Subjects:
English (writing & speaking)
History (heritage)
PSHE (identity)
Art (optional extension)
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Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:
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Recall and describe a dish they eat at home or with family
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Sequence steps in a recipe using clear instructions
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Use sensory language to describe food (smell, taste, texture, etc.)
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Understand that recipes can hold family stories and cultural heritage
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Share their writing verbally and/or visually
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Materials Needed:
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Paper, pencils/pens
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"My Family Recipe" template (see below)
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Crayons/coloured pencils for drawing
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Optional: photos or packaging from home, cooking sounds/music
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A real recipe as a sample (e.g., teacher's own or something familiar like spaghetti)
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduce the Idea (5 minutes)
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Explain:
“Today we’re going to become recipe writers! But not just any recipe — a special one from our family or home. Recipes can tell stories about who we are, where we come from, and how we show love.”
Share an example of a short, simple recipe and read it aloud with expression, emphasizing steps, ingredients, and sensory words.
We have provided a selection of memories collected for Beyond the Plate that explore food heritage for you to use.
You can compare and contrast the types of language used to share their heritage.
Warm-Up Activity (10 minutes)
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Open a discussion or invite the children to participate in a doodle game, drawing their answers to these questions
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“What’s your favourite meal at home?”
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”What ingredients are in it?”
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“Who makes it?”
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“Do you help cook?”
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“Is it eaten on a special occasion? or every week?”
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”Do you know where the recipe comes from?”
Invite the children to share their answers in pairs, small groups or within the class. Discuss the differences between us - how can understanding what we eat shape how we understand ourselves? Can the children identify something they share with someone else and something that is different for instance?
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3. Create a Sensory word bank (10–15 minutes)
On the board, create a Sensory Word Bank. Ask the children to think about their favourite foods at home:
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”What smells do you notice when it’s being made?”
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”How does it feel to eat it? (warm, spicy, smooth?)”
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”What sounds do you hear in the kitchen when it is being made?”
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”Where do you eat it?”
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”What do they talk about when eating it?”
The children could write or draw their answers to the questions.
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Extension: You could create a class poem to sum up your collective food heritage. Every child offers a line to complete “I am ….” There’s an example from Beyond the Plate at the end of the plan.
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Homework: Ask the children to research a family recipe.
4. Writing the Recipe (25 minutes)
Give out the "My Family Recipe" template (see below). Pupils can write their recipe as:
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A traditional recipe with instructions given to them by their family.
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OR a poetic recipe that mixes steps with memory
5. Sharing & Reflection (10–15 minutes)
Invite pupils to share their recipe with a partner or small group. They can:
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Read it aloud
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Act out cooking it
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Show their drawing
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Ask a few to share to the whole class if comfortable.
Wrap up with:
“What did we learn about each other through our recipes?”
“Why is it important to share and remember our food heritage?”
Extension Ideas:
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You could make a class recipe book - photocopy all recipes and bind them together!
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Host an art exhibition of the recipes and poems to celebrate your class heritage.
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Host a taste test or family feat invite families to bring a dish and share their heritage with each other.
