Big Cook Little Cook, Welcome to our Cafe ♪

I hope I'm not the only one who remembers this programme... I also hope you start singing the song like I did when you read the title... Anyway,

Hello readers!

I'm sure you can guess what this entry will be about- a children's cooking programme! I don't know why but I used to LOVE this show. The songs were so catchy that I remember the lyrics 10 years on.

For those who don't know, there are two cooks: Big Cook Ben and Little Cook Small. Big Cook does most of the cooking and Little Cook acts as an assistant. Although Ben is 'bigger', he is clumsy and silly whereas Small is sensible and is portrayed as a hero in the stories he tells. I feel that these two characters are a good choice- Small represents the younger cookers and Ben represents the parents/guardians. However, the reversal of the personalities makes the process of cooking less serious for the children. Well done Cbeebies. Both Ben and Small are extremely enthusiastic and always laughing, I believe this acts as a form of friendliness towards the young viewers- and not to mention keep them engaged and entertained. 

The set of 'Big Cook Little Cook' is an extremely colourful kitchen which screams FUN and appeals to the younger audience. A new customer visits every episode, who is usually a character from our childhood eg. Little Bo Peep and Humpty Dumpty- these characters create a sense of familiarity for the young viewers. Small tells an anecdote relating to each character in each episode, giving the viewers a chance to get to know characters they haven't heard of before.

Now for the recipe. Each recipe is taken out of Big Cook's Big Cookery Book which is h u u g e and has dish for each customer. Just like the kitchen, the book is also very colourful. The recipe itself has images of the ingredients needed- familiarising viewers with the names and looks of each product. The healthiness of each recipe is usually overshadowed by the interesting and different presentation of food eg. a salad in the form of a smiley face. Not only is the programme interesting and entertaining, but it is also highly educational. Small flies off on his spoon in every episode showing viewers where/how certain products are made. We are taken to factories and farms etc. where children wouldn't be able to go normally. This encourages children not to waste food as they now know there's a long process in creating it.

After Small's educational section of the programme, we are back in the kitchen where they start cooking. Phrases such as

"Have you cleaned the surfaces?"

"Yes."

"Have you washed your hands?" 

"Yes."

"All clean and ready to cook."

are present in each episode. These phrases become associated with cooking and effectively remind children about hygiene issues. It's like a to do list in a more memorable form.

Ben also uses phrases such as

"Make sure you get your grown up helper to help you with this part..."

"...because the oven is hot hot hot."

which once again remind and warn children of some safety issues in the kitchen. The repetition of these phrases in every episode will definitely help them become imprinted on the younger minds as I still remember them.

Singing and dance routines are also present within each episode: one about the dishes they make and one about cleaning up. The second song, which is probably more important to parents, is the cleaning up song. Feelings of happiness and excitement are portrayed through the lyrics of this song, alongside the enthusiastic facial expressions of Ben and Small. Did the song make me want to wash up? Not really. But it was definitely catchy.

Just after the cleaning up is done by Ben and Small oh so happily, the plate gets returned to the cafe. Each character leaves a thank you note and sometimes a gift. The thank you note obviously reminds children of the importance of their manners, and to be thankful for their food.