Teenager Kitchen Battle: Young cooking for a strong southern Styria

Teenager Kitchen Battle: Young cooking for a strong southern Styria

In the picturesque region of South Styria, not only nature is magnificent, but also the culinary talents of the young people should be put to the fore! With the start of the "Teenager Kitchen Battle" in September 2024, a new project will be launched that would like to motivate students to discover and appreciate the advantages of regional food and healthy diet.

This innovative project is carried out as part of the LEADER program, which aims to promote cooperation between schools, regional farmers and local companies. The aim is to strengthen South Styria as an attractive educational and economic region and at the same time convey cooking with joy.

an interaction of education and enjoyment

The initiative is due to the committed collaboration of Elisabeth Straßer, an expert at the rural training institute (LFI) Styria, and the district farmer Daniela Posch. Posch emphasizes that the project is aimed at bringing children and adolescents closer to the good in domestic food. The focus is on the playful and creative imparting knowledge of healthy eating and sustainability.

Eight middle schools from the region have qualified for the exciting competitive event: Arnfels, Ehrenhausen, Gamlitz, Gleinstätten, Lebring, Leutschach, Wildon and Wolfsberg. The school year is supported by the students of experts from the LFI, seminar farmers in order to optimally prepare for the competition.

A special highlight of the project is the well-known singer Anna-Sophie, who was won as an ambassador. Growing up on a farm, she knows about the importance of regional products and inspires young people to share this passion.

The "Teenager Kitchen Battle" offers a varied program that not only includes cooking and nutritional workshops, but also insights into the catering, farm visits and creative musical activities such as the kitchen drum circle, in which music is made with kitchen utensils.

The big competition and other perspectives

On July 2, 2025, the grand finale at the Grottenhof in Leibnitz will take place, where all eight schools compete against each other to achieve the coveted “golden wooden spoon”. In this exciting competition, a prominent jury will evaluate the creations of the students, while the local market presents the best regional products.

The "Teenager Kitchen Battle" should not only remain a unique event, but the prelude for many similar projects in Styria should be. "We would like to encourage young people to appreciate regional products, to discover the joy of cooking and to build a strong network between schools, agriculture and regional companies," explains Straßer.

The project shows that the collaboration between pupils, companies and municipalities can not only create new ideas, but also real strength for southern Styria when the young generations boil! For more information, the report of www.lebnitzaktuell.at .