Abstract It is well documented that cooking skills have declined in the UK and intake of ready meals and energy dense processed foods increasing. A lack of cooking skills has been associated with poor diet. Jamie's Ministry of Food was set up in 2009 to provide an 8 week hands-on cooking and nutrition programme to help improve the health and wellbeing of local communities. Working in partnership with local councils, charities and social enterprises the programme has reached 90,000 people worldwide. In 2016, the University of Leeds carried out an evaluation of the Ministry of Food cooking programme, using both qualitative & quantitative methods, and published the findings in the Public Health Nutrition Journal . Pre, post and 6 month follow-up evaluation in relation to self reported Fruit and Vegetable intake, snack intake and cooking confidence for 462 adults was analysed by gender, age, deprivation, disability and ethnicity. Additionally, 40 semi structured telephone interviews were conducted. Results showed cooking confidence and fruit and vegetable intake increased post course and increased further at 6 month follow up. Similarly snack intake decreased by almost 50% 6 months post course. Qualitative results supported the quantitative & reported increases in general confidence and other social benefits. These results show that the programme has significant positive effects on dietary behaviour, food choice and cooking confidence. Similar results have been replicated by Deakin University who studied the Ministry of Food programme in Australia. Learning to cook plays an important part in integrated health and Obesity prevention programmes.