Year 9 AAA Pop Up Restaurant

The Year 9 AAA club have spent this half term planning their very own "Pop Up Restaurant". The first sessions after school were spent designing and agreeing on a set menu. The menu parameters were that it had to be simple enough to prepare in an evening, easily adaptable for vegetarians, vegans, and people with dietary needs. It had to be 3 courses, and also dishes that would look attractive when plated up. After much discussion, and some lively debates, the group agreed on the following:

Starter: Baked tomatoes with crumbled feta, served with herby focaccia bread

Main: Creamy chicken and bacon tagliatelle (or mushroom)

Dessert: Meringue topped seasonal fruit crumble, served with homemade custard

The next few weeks after school were spent practising each of these recipes, and trialling different ways of plating the dishes up to ensure they looked attractive for our guests at the restaurant. Some tweaks were made to each recipe after taste testing. It was also a good opportunity to make any mistakes in the practice sessions, and a big learning curve. The group were now confident making each dish ready for the big night!

40 guests were expected to the restaurant, and the group spent time decorating the room and creating a relaxing ambience. As masters of the recipes, the dishes and cooking went very smoothly, and all the courses were served on time. With the help of some Sixth Formers, who helped at the front of house, but also behind the scenes as pot washers, it was a very successful evening. The guests complimented the food and hospitality of the students, with some asking for copies of the recipes! The Year 9 AAA group were excellent ambassadors for the school, and would get a job at any Michelin starred restaurant!

We were also fortunate to be loaned crockery for the evening from "The Kitchen" at Reading College, and would like to express our thanks to them.