“I think people find it difficult to cook fresh food nowadays, and it’s actually quite simple.”

Words from Nicky Whitfield, one of hundreds of people taking part in a project teaching them to cook from scratch.

Organizers of Cook24 say they hope to expand across Wales to help “transform the nation’s relationship with food” by cooking affordable meals using fresh, raw ingredients and, crucially, local vegetables.

The initiative in Carmarthenshire attracted nearly 1,400 students of all ages last year and is the brainchild of award-winning restaurateur and food writer Simon Wright, who says it gives you the confidence to “take more control over the way you eat”.

Nicky currently works part-time but said things were difficult for her after her employment ended last year.

She was “really grateful” for what she learned in the course: “It’s really nice that it’s available to the community, it’s free, and all the ingredients are fresh.”

He said the course improved his cooking skills and ensured his meals were affordable: “We have all the help and we can take them home and eat them.”

Lisa Davies, a mother of five, said the courses helped her cook on a budget.

“I’ve always cooked from scratch,” Lisa said. “But like most of us, the budget is getting tighter. This was surprising because there was no meat, so it was a much cheaper meal.

“I’ve never cooked with only vegetables; today I cook with vegetables and everything turned out great because it’s much cheaper than cooking with meat.”

Further education college Coleg Sir Gar is supported by the local council and the UK government.

“This brings a resilience, a resource and a skill to people that they might not have, and that confidence means you can have more control over the way you eat,” Simon said.

“You have more options because you can cook, and I think that’s especially important in places where communities are struggling.”

He said organizers were working with food banks and schools because the next generation “faces many food challenges.”

Users of a local food bank in Llanelli attended the courses.

One of them, Jane Patricia Sinclair, said that they could use ingredients from the food bank in the recipes shown in the course: “I really liked it because they showed you different foods.”

Paul Scofield, who is retiring for medical reasons, said his “income has fallen since I’ve been working” and that the course also taught him where to buy food.

“I’ve always eaten processed things, so doing this course is something interesting for me,” she said. “This gives me a wider range of ways to cook things differently.”

Food bank assistant manager Carol Williams said some people were now able to live without assistance after the course. They also learned to cook better and use ingredients more efficiently.

“We had eight guests that we have been supporting through the food bank for a long time,” he said.

“When we finished the course, six out of eight people no longer needed food bank support because their skills had increased.”

“We were helping with comprehensive support and then they felt confident that we could provide them with healthy, nutritious meals.”

The project is due to end next month, but organizers say there is more demand for help.

They have launched a crowdfunding appeal to establish a new charity called Cegin y Bobl / The People’s Kitchen. They hope this aid will replicate what is happening in Carmarthenshire across Wales, using chefs as teachers.

Dr Nathan Einbinder from the University of Plymouth, an expert in regenerative food and agriculture, described it as a blueprint project that “helps on many different levels”.

“Teaching children to cook potentially gives children a lot of power to have control over their diet,” Dr Einbinder said.

“It can also spread into the community into their homes, and there’s a chance for huge change.”