our story

YOUTH KITCHEN began in 2022 as itsu's Community Kitchen Project. The itsu team are passionate about healthier diets and fresh food so it made sense for them to volunteer to support our nation's teachers with nutrition education.
 
News spread fast and we quickly got an overwhelming number of requests for school visits.  Thanks to the support from our customers, suppliers, brand friends and itsu teams we were able to visit increasing numbers of students every term.
 
We wanted to do more, and more, and more to help support healthier futures for younger generations.  At the itsu Christmas Board Meeting 2024* it was agreed we would create a dedicated charity whose mission would be to help young people leave school with the nutritional knowledge & practical skills needed to live a healthier life.
 

healthier futures

What if, in the same way we take inspiration from East Asia when creating our eat beautiful food, we look at the East Asian approach to nutrition education?  Please take a moment to read up about  shokuiku and be amazed and inspired.

YOUTH KITCHEN started as a single classroom takeover and has now developed into a full in school module. Our 2026/7 curriculum is a 5 week nutrition education and cook - along for Year 4 students - check out classroom takeovers for more information.

*Registered Charity number 1219632

YOUTH KITCHEN logo with fresh chickpeas, red onion, bell pepper, and blueberries. Youth Kitchen logo with 'Supporting Healthier Futures' text, surrounded by diverse fruits and vegetables.