Yesterday Miss Wells and her Year 6 pupils joined the catering team in the Terrace Room for a Cupcake Challenge, a Discovery Table, the Edible Garden and a journey to discover the sustainability of a Burger.
We were joined by Chantelle Nicholson, Sodexo Independent Schools and Universities Partner, and multi-award winning chef patron of her new sustainable restaurant Apricity , which consciously reconsiders every aspect of the operation from menus to washing dishes to ensure it is low waste. Chantelle will work alongside Sodexo’s culinary team to drive innovation in menu development with a focus on healthy and plant-rich dishes designed to be served to children and young people. Marija, Curtis and Dorota supported the pupils while they decorated their cupcakes in a myriad of natural colours, topping them with various decorations including some beautiful edible flowers.
Other pupils spent time with Chantelle and Sodexo’s Sustainability Director David Mulcahy at the Discovery Table tasting a wide range of vegetables and fruits, some well-known and others seen and tasted for the first time. Another group were able to test their taste buds by guessing the unusual ingredient in a delicious, moist chocolate brownie, as well as sampling vegetables from the Edible Garden with Chef Tom.
At Miss Wells’ table pupils tested their knowledge of how much they knew about how tomatoes, potatoes and broccoli are grown and how milk is produced. They then designed a ‘planet friendly’ burger considering the food miles that each component has to travel before it gets to our plate.
The morning’s activities came to an end when Chantelle and David judged the wonderful cupcakes and awarded prizes to teams ‘Bob is your Uncle’, ‘Crusty Cakes’ and ‘Apricot Toffees’.
It was a very successful, if at times messy, day and I think some of the pupils may have gone home in a rather pleasant shade of blue, but everyone had a great time and hopefully learned a little about flavours and the journey our food makes.
Wishing everyone a great summer!
Ms Street (Catering Manager)