Abi Grainger

Abigail Grainger is a Jamie's Home Cooking Skills student in Year 10 at Alfriston School, Amersham Bucks - a special needs school for pupils with learning difficulties. Abi has an infectious enthusiasm for everything she does and cannot help but pass this on to her friends, family and peers. She epitomises what the home cooking skills programme is about, having embraced the course immediately, sourcing recipes from home as well as learning and perfecting the necessary skills to meet the challenges of the course. Abi rapidly gained confidence using her knowledge and skills to create healthy meals in order to support her sporting lifestyle. Abi battled ill health throughout the course but never let this affect her learning. Her enthusiasm for cooking using fresh ingredients and the recipes provided by Jamie Oliver began to have an effect on her family; persuading them to reduce the frequency of ready meals and adopting a healthier diet. The culmination of her successful course was the creation of a family recipe book that can be added to and passed down through the generations. Abi is a perfect ambassador for the Jamie Course, her enthusiasm and love of life would make her a proud role model for other teenagers with special needs.