Essential Cuisine Goes Back To School

Two years ago Rob Mainment, the IT teacher at Hartford High School, was tasked with finding a project to captivate the imagination of the school children. He came up with a sustainable “grow your own” and “raised beds” project that the kids really took to it.
 
Last year Rob took the project a step further and decided the children should not only grow the vegetables, but also cook them. The idea of a Hell’s kitchen was born and last year, with the help of James Holden of the Acadamy of Culinary Arts, the children helped cook for 100 people using the produce they had grown. It was a great success and raised enough money to help build more raised beds and buy equipment.

This year, with the help of Essential Cuisine, Hartford pupils have raised further funds participating in the Garden Festival at Arley Hall in Cheshire. Nigel Crane, chef and founder of Essential Cuisine, worked with the children to make a range of soups using all the produce they had grown. The soups were sold during the festival, generating further funds to continue the project and expand the school allotment.

As a direct result of the project Hartford High school has made raised beds for three other Primary Schools. The work completed can even be used towards The Duke of Edinburgh Awards.
 
The produce grown by the children is also going to be on the menu at this year’s Hell’s Kitchen event to be held at the school. With the help of Essential Cuisine, pupils will be preparing and serving a 3 course meal for 100 guests.

02/07/2010|