Future chefs and waiters from Saint Aidan’s Church of England High School took over The Villa restaurant in Wrea Green on 13 October cooking and serving food to special guests, parents and carers.
This was a great opportunity for the pupils to develop their cooking, communication and serving skills whilst learning from professional chefs and staff from the restaurant. The visit was hugely inspiring for pupils, many of whom have a passion for food, nutrition and design, and were given experience which they will be able to use in their future careers.
Students worked as waiting on staff and Chefs. Waiting on staff set the dining room and tables with formal cutlery, menus and decorations celebrating the 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign which they designed with the help of Mrs Salmon and Mrs Tinsley. Whilst the Chefs prepared and cooked the meal.
Students from year 9, 10 and 11 were invited to apply for the position they favoured, Ruby who had been a chef last year applied to be Restaurant Manager this year. She did a fantastic job and was one of the successful students to be offered a job after the event. This is Ruby’s experience:
I was so thrilled to be given the opportunity to be this year’s Restaurant Manager, in which I learnt many valuable skills and gained important work experience through the responsibilities the job entailed. The experience gave me an important insight into the hospitality industry and was a great way to learn ‘the ropes’, with The Villa staff there to guide and mentor us. While the event was a challenge, the evening itself was incredible and created memories I will remember for years to come. This event is an experience I would recommend to anyone!
A huge thank you to all of the wonderful staff involved from both Saint Aidan’s and The Villa for giving us this incredible opportunity!
Seth applied to be our welcoming host for the evening, he did a fantastic job, making all of our guests feel immediately at home. This is what he had to say about the event:
I loved being asked to be the host for the event at The Villa, I enjoyed being nice & smart in my suit and it was great that George & I got to meet people as they arrived & welcome them.
The best bit was being able to be part of it all and be a team with all the guys from school, I love that we have a picture of us all on stage that I have as a momento and I will have it as one of my good memories.
Liam was our wine waiter on the evening, he had carried out this role last year and so was confident in his position, so much so that he was offered a job at the end of the evening.
This is our Wine Waiters view of the evening:
My job was to collect and refill water jugs, and to take orders for alcoholic beverages. I was also responsible for collecting empty glasses and bottles. I had a lot of fun at the Villa, and the staff were very helpful in explaining what we had to do. At the end of the meal, I was offered a job there. In my opinion, the Villa is a great place to eat, and to work.
Carmella, one of the waitresses wrote this account of her evening:
My experience for the villa was amazing! It was fun to be able to serve food to people and to design the table decorations. It was very tiring and hard work but that is what I expected. I
will definitely do this next year and am considering applying to be the wine waitress or a chef! I enjoyed it very much, everyone was hardworking and all year groups worked well together making an amazing team.
Talented music students added a finishing touch to the atmosphere as they performed and entertained throughout the evening. Carlotta and Nathaniel played folk music on their Violin and Guitar, they were amazing. The singers, Katie, Aimee, Imogen and Luce were fantastic, a treat for all of our guests. Thanks go to our Head Girl Meg for organising the music and for her excellent singing and piano playing on the night. All of this would not have been possible without the leadership of Trev Markland, thank you.
The kitchen staff were able to learn about safety regulations of the workplace before cooking different elements of the meal which included a starter of Callaloo soup, a favourite of the late Queens, a main course of Balmoral chicken served with vegetables and parsnip puree, my favourite course was the duo of desserts, a disassembled jubilee trifle served with marmalade bread-and-butter pudding and sauce Anglaise, our cheeky nod to Paddington. All of the students worked very hard to present the meals delicately and carefully so they were fresh, hot and appetising to look at when served.
The evening was an incredible success with guests enjoying the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant. In addition, 5 students were successful at being offered jobs due to their hard work and dedication.
Saint Aidan’s thanks everyone who attended and for The Villa for providing this valuable opportunity for our pupils.
Seth was our welcoming host on the evening, this is what he had to say about the event:
I loved being asked to be the host for the event at The Villa, I enjoyed being nice & smart in my suit and it was great that George & I got to meet people as they arrived & welcome them.
The best bit was being able to be part of it all and be a team with all the guys from school, I love that we have a picture of us all on stage that I have as a momento and I will have it as one of my good memories
