House Foods' 'My First Cooking' Class Celebrates 30th Anniversary Promoting Children's First Curry Making! New Corporate CM Broadcast Begins

House Foods Group Inc. will begin nationwide broadcasting of its new commercial, 'Let's Make Tomorrow's Smiles.' <'My First Cooking' Class: 30 Years of Memories> edition, from Friday, June 12, 2026.

The 'My First Cooking' class, which started in 1996 and celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, is an activity that allows children to experience many 'firsts' through making curry. By discovering, appreciating, and learning through cooking and eating together, it has continuously provided opportunities to nurture children's healthy bodies and minds.

At House Foods Group, we engage in food education activities to convey the joy and importance of food, aiming to contribute to the realization of a society where everyone can live a healthy and smiling life. Through the 'My First Cooking' class, we will deliver food experiences that enrich lives, even if just a little.

New Corporate CM 'Let's Make Tomorrow's Smiles.' <'My First Cooking' Class: 30 Years of Memories> edition
URL: https://housefoods-group.com/cm/90cm_260610_01/

'Let's Make Tomorrow's Smiles.' Special Site
URL: https://housefoods-group.com/tsunagu/smilefuture/ (Scheduled to be updated in mid-June)

■ Supporting Children's 'My First Curry' Experience! About the 'My First Cooking' Class

The 'My First Cooking' class is a food education activity centered around curry making, targeting children in kindergartens, nursery schools, and certified centers for early childhood education and care nationwide. It stems from the desire for children to experience 'making and eating food themselves' and to expand their interest in food.
Curry and rice is a national favorite that children love, allowing them to eat vegetables, meat, and rice in one dish. It is a menu where they can experience the basics of cooking: cutting, stir-frying, and simmering ingredients.

In the 'My First Cooking' class, House Foods Group provides Vermont Curry to the schools. We support children's 'My First Curry' experience by having them try cooking tasks such as cutting vegetables, stir-frying ingredients, and adding roux to simmer.

Schools that have implemented the program highly praise it, stating, 'By experiencing everything from preparation to cooking, we can cover the key points of food education,' and 'Not only does it increase interest, knowledge, and gratitude regarding food, but it also fosters 'human skills' such as the ability to think independently, building confidence, logical thinking, and life skills.'

Since its start in 1996, a cumulative total of approximately 11.35 million children have participated, making it an activity with a deep history as it reaches its 30th anniversary in 2026. We will continue our activities with the goal of having 1 in 10 kindergarteners nationwide experience the 'My First Cooking' class.

・'My First Cooking' Class Special Site URL:
https://housefoods-group.com/tsunagu/h_cooking/index.html
* An activity introduction video is available on the special site.

■ 'Let's Make Tomorrow's Smiles.' <'My First Cooking' Class: 30 Years of Memories> edition CM Story

The 'My First Cooking' class, which began in 1996, celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 as children accumulate many 'firsts.' Meanwhile, we received the wonderful news that a former kindergarten participant of the 'My First Cooking' class had become a mother, and her daughter was also participating. The CM focuses on this cross-generational experience.

A mother, who herself experienced the class in the past, begins reading a heartfelt letter to her daughter who is now participating, carefully choosing words as if overlapping herself with her daughter. Furthermore, the kindergarten principal, who has continuously watched over the program since its inception in 1996, speaks to the children about the 'magic of making curry.'

Along with messages from these two, the children are shown joyfully, earnestly, and vibrantly engaging in making curry. The CM overlays House Foods Group's sentiment of 'Let's Make Tomorrow's Smiles.' onto the fact that the 'My First Cooking' class is not just about making curry, but a 'food experience that enriches life' built up over 30 years.

■ Comment from Shigenobu Yamate, Principal of Oyake Children's Garden, featured in the CM

'The 'My First Cooking' class is an important event that embodies our school's policy of 'experiencing authentic people, events, and things.' We believe that learning by touching real ingredients, smelling aromas, feeling textures, and observing state changes through cooking with all five senses enriches children's minds and becomes a great foundation for their future growth.
Through this experience, we want children to learn the joy of interacting with ingredients and a 'sense of gratitude' towards the people who support our food. By making curry, which is very popular in school lunches, with their own hands, we hope they feel the fun of handling ingredients, the importance of cooperating with everyone, and the joy of eating together.
We also hope it serves as an opportunity for them to realize that 'we are receiving life' from meat and vegetables, and that our daily meals are supported by many people, including those who cultivate, transport, and cook.'

■ (Reference 1) Parents expect not only 'interest and knowledge about food' but also 'children's personal growth' through cooking experiences – Results of the 'Children's First Cooking Experience' Survey

In February 2024, a survey on 'Children's First Cooking Experience' was conducted among 1,000 parents nationwide who have children entering elementary school in the spring, and who have witnessed and cooked together with their child for their first cooking experience. When parents were asked what they think their children learn through cooking experiences, food-related items ranked high: 'interest in food' (75.3%), 'gratitude for food' (59.0%), and 'knowledge about food' (55.8%). Meanwhile, about half cited 'ability to think independently' (46.8%), and about 40% cited 'building self-confidence/affirmation' (42.7%), 'ability to proceed with things in order' (40.3%), and 'life skills' (39.6%), indicating that they also expect their children's personal growth.

Source: House Foods Group 'Children's First Cooking Experience' Survey
Conducted by House Foods Group Inc. in February 2024 via web survey. Target: 1,000 parents nationwide who experienced their child's first cooking together, with the child entering elementary school this spring.

■ (Reference 2) Food Education Initiatives at House Foods Group

House Foods Group engages in food education activities to convey the joy and importance of food, aiming to contribute to a society where everyone can live a healthy and smiling life.

● House 'Food, Agriculture, and Environment Experience Class'
We want them to know the connection and importance of food, agriculture, and the environment... (omitted)