The concept of the UK MTKi was formally piloted at workshop within a public event in Cambourne in April 2023 in partnership with CamCare UK and the University of Brighton. The event paved the way for the NNEdPro-UK roadshow events held in September 2023 in various parts of the UK, namely Cambridge, Belfast, Aberdeen and Dundee, in partnership with the University of Queensland, Center for Community Health & Wellbeing. The roadshow events provided a deep dive into the programme's potential impact in the UK. Attendees explored how hands-on nutrition education can empower communities and individuals to make healthier choices. More details can be found here.

In November 2023, a culinary nutrition education workshop was conducted in Dundee, Scotland, in partnership with the Dundee and Angus College, where participants learned about different food groups, how to read food labels, and how to make healthy swaps in the recipes and the nutrient profiles for each dish. This workshop led to the development of the first 'preceptors' group within the UK. These preceptors would work with nutrition and culinary experts from the UK MTK team to subsequently train members of the public to become potential UK MTK champions. More details can be found here.

In 2024, with support from EIT Food, we will run a Proof of Concept to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition in two underserved UK communities. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. The initiative will conduct a needs assessment to identify specific challenges and opportunities for impact within these communities, then implement the Mobile Teaching Kitchen International (MTKi) model. Deliverables of the project include:

• Demonstration of Effectiveness: The MTKi model effectively improves participants' nutritional knowledge, cooking and entrepreneurial skills, and dietary behaviours.

• Test Feasibility: The feasibility of implementing the MTKi model within the UK's socioeconomic and cultural context, adapting the model as necessary.

• Assess Scalability: Demonstrate the model's potential for expansion to reach a broader population across diverse communities.

• Empower Communities: Fostering a culture of self-sufficiency and empowerment in communities to support healthier food choices and improved nutrition.

• Generate Evidence: Collect quantitative data on changes in dietary behaviours and community knowledge dissemination.

• Inform Policy and Advocacy: Use collected evidence to advocate for policy changes and resource allocation to address food insecurity and malnutrition in the UK.