The Year 11 GCSE catering group had the opportunity to visit Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in York. It was a research trip to form part of the students’ research for their controlled assessment.

On Wednesday 23rd September the Year 11 GCSE catering group had the opportunity to visit Jamie Oliver's restaurant in York. It was a research trip to form part of the students' research for their controlled assessment.

The experience exceeded the students' expectations, as not only were they able to eat some lovely food, they were also able to sample a small part of the Jamie Oliver culture. The day began with a tour of the rustic Italian style modern restaurant, followed by a talk from the training supervisor Natasha, the head chef Olly then the general manager Gemma - within this, students learned about the family ethos of the company, the recruitment process and the various job roles and responsibilities. Then the students were allowed to sit in on a pre-shift, where the waiting staff taste and are informed about the seasonal and varied ingredients in the specials of the day.

Later students were more 'hands on' when they folded napkins, made up their own anti-pasti planks using ingredients freshly sourced from around the world. This was followed with tasting and each student being served a bowl of fresh hot pasta. They certainly have a wonderful primary research experience to draw upon for their GCSE task.