Royal Holloway students have put their creative skills into practice to produce a new series of recipe videos helping Runnymede residents discover affordable, healthy and sustainable meals.
The 12 videos form part of Runnymede Cooks, a year-long campaign encouraging residents to build confidence cooking vegan and vegetarian dishes at home. The project has brought together Runnymede Borough Council, Royal Holloway, local students and community cookery experts – while giving students valuable experience working on a real-world creative project.
The Council approached Royal Holloway earlier this year looking for students who could bring the recipes to life on screen. Media Arts student Taryn Green was appointed to produce the videos, putting her university skills into practice through filming, editing and creative production.
Following three days of filming with Runnymede Cooks delivery partner Sally Gerrard from GoodCooks at her studio in West End, Surrey, Taryn created 12 short recipe videos and social media reels. Fellow students Edward Glasspool supported the filming, while Adam Rodwell composed original music for the videos.
When asked about her experience with the project, Taryn said:
“It has been a pleasure working with Runnymede Council on the Runnymede Cooks project. Ed and I had a lovely time filming alongside Sally and Georgina, and it was equally enjoyable working with Dan and Adam throughout post-production. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful project. As a vegan myself, it was particularly rewarding to help introduce local communities to affordable, accessible recipes that make incorporating more vegetables and plant-based foods into everyday diets easier.”
Georgina Pacey, Planning Policy, Infrastructure and Climate Change Manager at the Council said
“Council officers really enjoyed working with Taryn, Ed and Adam on the Runnymede Cooks project. They were enthusiastic, professional and showed real dedication to meeting our requirements. We are delighted with the quality of the outputs that they have delivered”.
Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, Runnymede Cooks offers residents in-person cooking classes alongside online videos showing how to make each of the campaign’s 12 recipes.
From vegan katsu curry to blackberry boost bread and butter pudding, the videos demonstrate that eating more sustainably doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, with practical recipes people can recreate at home. The videos will be shared across the Council’s digital channels, allowing residents to cook along at home whenever it suits them.
Roberta Mock, Professor of Creative Industries and Skills at Royal Holloway, said:
“Collaborative projects like Runnymede Cooks provide invaluable experience for our creative students, enabling them to develop their professional skills while producing work with a real purpose and audience. They also demonstrate the importance of our partnership with the Council, and how bringing together student creativity and local expertise can support shared ambitions for environmental sustainability, place-making, belonging, and community engagement.”
Councillor Don Whyte, Chair of the Environment & Sustainability Committee, said
“Working with Royal Holloway students on the Runnymede Cooks campaign has shown the real benefits that can be realised when local organisations come together to deliver shared projects and achieve shared objectives. At Runnymede Borough Council, we are consistently looking for innovative ways to engage residents and deliver positive environmental action, and this partnership has brought fresh perspectives and expertise to the project. It has also created valuable opportunities for students to contribute to a live community-focused programme, helping to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world action. By collaborating in this way, we can create stronger outcomes for our residents while helping to develop the future workforce, contributing to a more sustainable future.”
The project is also an example of the wider partnership between Runnymede Borough Council and Royal Holloway, combining the University’s skills and talent with Council-led projects that benefit the local community. For the students involved, it has provided professional experience and work they can showcase to future employers.
For recipes created with the Runnymede Cooks campaign, visit our website and videos will be hitting our social media and digital channels in the next few weeks: Runnymede Cooks! Runnymede Grows! – Runnymede Borough Council
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