Younger generation used to ordering food lacking basic life skill

IT’S one of life’s necessary skills but young Sydneysiders addicted to takeaway are struggling to cook a meal for themselves, forcing them to sign up to culinary classes in droves.

Renata Gortan and amp; JOCELYN AIRTH

3 min read

August 18, 2018 - 12:00AM

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NSW

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IT’S one of life’s necessary skills but young Sydneysiders addicted to takeaway are struggling to cook a meal for themselves, forcing them to sign up to culinary classes in droves.

Despite being a nation that loves cooking shows such as MasterChef, it appears we spend more time on our phones ordering up food rather than in the kitchen, with many even unable to scramble an egg.

Nearly two million Australians use meal delivery services regularly, according to Roy Morgan research, with Deliveroo alone reporting that orders have grown by 400 per cent in Sydney.

Brett Deverall, owner of Sydney Cooking School, teaches Alessandra Ortiz, 26, (left) and Kelsey Bennett, 18. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Of those in the Millennial and Gen Y bracket, aged 28-42, 16.1 per cent of those surveyed had used a meal delivery service in the past three months, compared to 4.5 per cent of Baby Boomers.

Social researcher Ashley Fell from McCrindle said Millennials opt for food delivery services because they are fast and convenient.

“This is a time-poor generation we’re talking about, so they’re effectively outsourcing their food,” Ms Fell said.

“They also have an ability to use technology to their benefit.”

But she warned that cooking was an important life skill that should not be neglected by young Australians.

Kelsey (right), said the classes helped her get beyond “just steak and pasta”. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“It’s more cost-effective, and that will help this generation … when their disposable income eventually becomes tied up with rent, raising children, paying off a mortgage and other expenses.”

And enrolment figures at Sydney Cooking School bear that out, with the majority of those in the adult beginner course aged in their 20s.

The four-week courses are sellouts, with participants paying $495 to learn how to boil an egg and progress to steak, roasts and desserts.

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Owner Brett Deverall said there was a whole generation whose parents both worked and didn’t have time to teach them how to cook.

“We get a lot of young people around who want to be healthy and not get takeaway food every night, because they’ve learnt from MasterChef it’s healthier to cook your food.”

Kelsey Bennett, 18, from Neutral Bay signed up for cooking classes when she left home.

“I sort of cooked a little bit before, just steak and pasta, but this helped me. I used to have the temperature too high or too low and it was good to know which spices to add for flavour,” she said.

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