BENDIGO is the first stop for Jamie's Ministry of Food Mobile Kitchen early next year.
The kitchen and its staff, who advocate chef Jamie Oliver's philosophy of healthy, simple meals to fight obesity, sets up on January 11 to deliver a five-week cooking course in the Central Victorian town.
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The program is expected to visit 11 areas around Victoria in the next two-and-a-half years.
The kitchen's schedule beyond Bendigo is still being determined but the program which has Victorian Government backing is part of the state's Prevention Community Model.
Bendigo is one of 14 local government areas chosen to be part of the model due to its high rates of obesity and poor nutrition.
A survey in 2008 showed 56.9 per cent of the city's adults were overweight or obese and only 10 per cent of adults ate the suggested five serves of veggies a day.
Residents will be offered a five-week cooking course which includes one 90-minute class each week with up to 12 people in the class. The mobile kitchen will be open seven days a week.
"We start the classes with eggs and work our way through various recipes concluding with a roast chicken. We can't at this stage release all the recipes," a spokeswoman said.
Greater Bendigo Mayor Lisa Ruffell said the program was great news for the city which plans to link it to other activities in the area to encourage long term changes to lifestyle.
People can book in for classes at Jamie's Ministry of Food from Monday, December 3.
