Bothal pupils working on cooking skills

Posted by The Journal on Nov 26, 09 11:12 AM in School news

Bothal Bistro's Lauren Davison preparing a perfectly crumbly pastry Mini masterchefs learned from the best when they entered the heat of the kitchen to improve their skills.

The young apprentices from Bothal Middle School in Ashington began learning advanced cooking techniques by going along to the Half Moon Inn in Stakeford.

They were shown the ropes in the kitchen by the Half Moon's owner Shane Otley before having a lesson from the head chef David Lee.

The 11 year-seven children have already started their own bistro club at school, and this allowed them to learn about the pressures in a working kitchen and how it works as a business.

Bothal Bistro, their after-school cooking club, was set up to encourage youngsters to eat more fresh and healthy food and learn about enterprise. The 11 and 12-year-olds in the group have since taken part in sessions about food from all over the world and learned the importance of using fresh ingredients.

Lauren Davison, 11, loves being part of Bothal Bistro. She said: "I like to cook at home but there is more equipment at school and I am learning more advanced things. I'd like to cook for people when I get older but I don't think I could be a chef."

Angela Staines, food technology teacher at Bothal Middle School, said: "They saw what goes on in a real life business setting. Now they know more about where a career in hospitality can lead them."

David Lee said: "It is excellent to see children so excited about food. It is a great age for them to get involved. It would be great if even one of them ends up being a chef - if they were good enough I'd take one on."

Pictured: Bothal Bistro's Lauren Davison preparing a perfectly crumbly pastry

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