Catering students cooked up a storm in state-of-the-art kitchens, impressing more than 120 guests with their gourmet fair.

The GCSE pupils from St Aidan’s CE Technology College in Preesall took over part of The Villa at Wrea Green to cater for an event as part of their course assessment.

The group of 31 15-and 16-year-olds were tasked with cooking Masterchef-class dishes themed for Lancashire Food Week, including a Lancashire hot pot stack, Goosnargh chicken stuffed with Lancashire cheese and tart tatin.

Chef Matthew Johnson kept the youngsters on their toes while sharing expert knowledge, tips and techniques to improve their understanding of food preparation and service.

Headteacher Andy Smith, a guest at the event, said: “Our hospitality and catering students excelled themselves as they served up a three course meal with a standard of quality and service which would not have been out of place at a top class restaurant.

“I felt so proud of them and of Mrs Rossall and the other staff who helped them to organise and prepare such a feast.”

The group served up a three-course dinner to teachers, friends and family in the Pavilion Suite.

The fourth annual event at the venue on Moss Side Lane, Wrea Green, was organised by teacher Joanne Rossall, who said the events always prove invaluable in contributing to achieving top 
results.

Mrs Rossall added: “The run up to this event is always stressful for the students and myself but once again the students have surpassed all expectations and excelled in every area. I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them.

“This event provides them with the experience of a real life catering environment that they can take to prospective employers, in the past students have been offered employment by the Villa based on their performance at this event.”

Between cooking courses at the event, the teenagers were also interviewed by the BBC One Sunday Politics Show, for a feature on employment issues and how they are preparing to leave school and look for work.

Pupils talked about how they view their employment prospects and whether they were worried about their future in the current economic climate.

Source: http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk