The Woodspeen is an outstanding restaurant with a Michelin star. Sam Brennan, Sous Chef at The Woodspeen, taught students how to make a range of exciting dishes, including Tarte Tatin with Miso Caramel sauce and Crème Anglaise, tenderstem broccoli with Béarnaise, almonds and anchovies and Lyonnaise onions.

Caroline Rankin, Catering teacher at Trinity School said: “Sam is a very talented chef and our students created excellent dishes under his guidance and expertise, gaining new, high level culinary skills. Our Catering students will be sitting their practical exams next week and this has been an invaluable opportunity for them to learn from a professional within the industry. Sam certainly ignited passion in our students.”

“It is fantastic that The Woodspeen is so invested in educating the next generation. All of our students proved to themselves that they are capable of creating complex dishes within time constraints and their sense of pride in their achievements was wonderful to see. Cooking teaches our students much more than the practical skills involved in producing a dish. It teaches them confidence, resilience and independence.”

The workshops lasted four hours on each day with students observing live and interactive cooking demonstrations from Sam, before attempting the dishes independently. Dan Jackson, a year 11 student partaking in the workshop, said: “The day was very useful for learning techniques for our exam and it taught us about what it is like to be in a professional kitchen. At times it was very challenging but it was exciting too. Watching Sam cook and getting his advice was great.”

The Woodspeen offer cooking workshops at their onsite cookery school but coming into a school was a first for Sam. Sam said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the students at Trinity. I really enjoyed the workshops and the quality of the students’ outcomes was amazing. They are the future for our industry. I wish them all the best of luck in their exams.”

It is a busy but exciting year for the D&T department at Trinity, with the publication of the new school Food and Wellbeing magazine Hestia and the development of the new on-site allotment, which year 9 Catering students are working on. It is hoped that in future workshops with Sam Brennan and The Woodspeen, students will be able to use seasonal school grown produce!