Student chefs take over top restaurant for one night only

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

AN EXCITING NEW CATERING VENTURE- Catering Students from the King’s School will be joining forces with Sidford’s top class Salty Monk restaurant for a special charity takeover night

by Laura Goldsbury Noy

STUDENTS from The King’s School in Ottery St Mary are to join forces with a five star restaurant in Sidford.
The catering students, who are approaching year 11, have been offered the chance to run the Salty Monk restaurant on Church Street, Sidford, by owner Andy Witheridge, in November of this year.
The students will work in the professional atmosphere serving 40 guests with a chance to work both in a commercial kitchen and to serve in a five star restaurant.
Following The King School’s success during their “Restaurant for One Night Only” initiative, the catering staff were approached by Mr Witheridge who wanted to give the students an opportunity to get real life catering experience working in a restaurant.
In charge of the venture is Mrs Capon who first came up with the idea of the “Restaurant for One Night Only” three years ago. It is an iniatiave where students are pitted against each other in teams and challenged to arrange everything, from front of house, to desiging invites and menus.
The students then cook and serve a three course meal to parents and teaching staff for up to 24 covers in the school’s converted graphics room.
Mr Witheridge of the Salty Monk has spent time with the young cooks helping them with revision and teaching sessions during the past term and was invited to the “school restaurant” where he and his wife enjoyed a full four course meal of canapés, starters, main course, desert and coffee with complimentary wine.
He was so impressed with the standards of the students’ work that he offered them the opportunity to work alongside him for a one off charity dinner.
The charity event will welcome a number of important local guests as well as well respected and recognised Michelin Star and Vice Chairman of Great British Master Chefs, Peter Gorton, who will be one of the VIP guests for the evening with many others due to attend.
Catering teacher at The King’s School, Mrs Capon, told the Pulman’s View From: “The idea is not only to raise awareness of the work we do at The King’s School, but also the profile of food as a valuable and creditable subject for all.
“This we hope is the beginning of an annual event where we can give the students real life experience of cooking their dishes in a real life catering kitchen for a large number of guests they will never have met - a daunting experience for any new chef.
“In order to make this work, we have decided to make the venture a charity event with half the money going to The Baton and the Devon Free Wheelers and the other half helping the school to support our links with our partner school in Ethiopia, as well as buying equipment for our catering department.
“The event is already growing and we are so excited and very pleased to be able to offer this experience to our students.”

Email: laura@pemedia.co.uk

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