Cooking is a valuable life skill which few people ever pick up before they absolutely have to. But at The British School of Beijing (BSB), kids as young as 8 years old are becoming mini master chefs.

[Check out great recipes that your kids can make at home from Real Simple, one of our favorite magazines]

And for that, parents have teachers Grant Avery and Frankie Crouch to thank. “I decided to lead the club simply because I love cooking,” says Avery, a former chef. “Plus, cooking is a wonderful, practical activity for the students. Children just love getting their hands dirty,” he says.

Already in its second year, the club meets every Tuesday afternoon for one hour to give students in years 3 through 6 the opportunity to hone their cooking skills and, of course, get their grub on. Given the short time frame, Avery tries to keep the recipes simple so that students will be able to complete them without any trouble. So far this year, the students have made bean burgers, quesadillas, chocolate muffins, cupcakes and fresh lemonade. “The most popular dish so far has been the chocolate chip pancakes, which is not surprising,” reveals Avery.

Beyond the dishes themselves, the club’s 16 members have learned important cooking skills, such as knife handling and food preparation. Contrary to the expected, the club has experienced no mishaps—a true testament to Avery's and Crouch’s abilities.

Avery has every intention of leading the club for the foreseeable future. During that time, he may even share with students his mother’s macaroni and cheese recipe. “It’s pretty special,” Avery says.