AS part of the recent 2025 Harlow Care Weekender, Councillor Dan Swords (Leader of the Council) and Councillor James Griggs (Leader of the Opposition) went head-to-head in a friendly Five Dinners cook-off outside the Playhouse!

The challenge was to see who could make the best Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese. 

The outcome: no kitchen disasters, and both dishes were so good the judges couldn’t pick a winner!

Thanks to Asda and the council, 30 ingredient bags were handed out so families could recreate the recipe at home.

The cook-off was all in aid of promoting the Five Dinners healthy eating initiative which is free to join for anyone living or working in Harlow.

Councillor Danielle Brown, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Culture and Community, said:

“It was so nice to see the councillors taking part in the cook-off! I hope everyone had as much fun watching as I did. I’m thrilled that so many people were able to take home bags of ingredients and hope they enjoyed making a delicious meal. We would love to see some of your Five Dinners recipes and recommendations, so get cooking and sharing!

“As Portfolio Holder for Culture and Community, I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved in pulling off this fantastic event, and to the councillors for participating. Events like this are what bring our community together, and I’m so proud of what’s been accomplished. A special thank you to Rhiannon Faith Company and Harlow Playhouse for hosting a wonderful weekend all focused on caring for each other and bringing people together. This is building Harlow’s future! “

Sign up to Five Dinners for free at https://fivedinners.com/my-community-food-hub/mycommunity/