Lens, France offers cooking classes to counter inflation
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In Lens, France, the municipal government began offering cooking classes to help residents cope with rising food prices.
Blondie, an instructor, leads workshops where participants learn to substitute less expensive ingredients, like legumes for part of the fish, without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Véronique, a recent layoff victim, and Christina, a retiree on disability, both attend the classes to stretch their budgets.
The classes also address broader issues, with the organization “Les Anges gardins” beginning each session with discussion of sustainable fishing and marine pollution. Participants are motivated to maintain their health and consider the environment even while facing financial hardship, believing they should still buy quality food despite limited funds. The city reports high demand for these workshops, adding more sessions as needed across its three socioculturel centers.
An annual membership costs only 5 euros per family, making the program accessible to many in Lens, where 35% of residents live below the poverty line according to 2023 data from INSEE, the French national statistics institute.
