Magdalen Chapter Bread on the School Menu!

Smoked salmon, poached ham and olive and artichoke may not be the standard sarnie served up in school dinner halls. But local youngsters from St Peter’s Church of England Aided School in Quarry Lane, Exeter, have now got a taste for gourmet cuisine after being treated to a unique Afternoon Tea experience courtesy of Exeter’s award winning Head Chef of 2012, Ben Bulger of the Magdalen Chapter.

Aspiring young chefs, who chose to study a GCSE in Catering, were selected to take over the culinary duties for one afternoon at one of Exeter’s prestigious city sites, the luxurious boutique hotel of Magdalan Chapter. The youngsters were treated to a master-class on catering skills by Magdalen Chapter’s winner of Best Chef of 2012 (Devon Life Food & Drink Awards) and also received a behind-the-scenes glimpse of serving at the renowned Magdalen Chapter hotel formerly the Edwardian Eye Hospital and now a chic city stay.

The event marks National Bread Week running from 16-22 April, which celebrates bread in all its forms, helps to promote the humble loaf and transforms the bland bread sarnie to style and sophistication. Over 200 different types of bread are produced in the UK and bread remains one of the UK’s favourite foods, with the equivalent of nearly 12 million loaves sold each day and 1.69 billion sandwiches every year.

Ben worked with the young chefs over a couple of weeks, teaching them to create traditional and luxurious Afternoon Tea menu which was served to fifty specially invited customers in the bar and library lounge. “They’ve been great to work with,” said Mr Bulger. “Their attitude has been first class.”

Guests of honour, the Lord Mayor Rob Newby and Deputy Lord Mayor Percy Prowse, were extremely impressed with the students saying: "The pupils have done brilliantly today and it is such a good experience for them to see what it is like to work in a real restaurant kitchen and present food to such a high standard."

The master-class experience gave students the opportunity to meet his team behind the menus and ask questions about how to forge a successful career in catering and hospitality. "It's been amazing. It's such a huge opportunity”, said Year 10 student Katie Edwards.

“Very, very nice. This sophisticated Afternoon Tea was a delight,” said Lyn Bourne, deputy head teacher, afterwards. “It’s been a tremendous success; the students were delighted to have taken part and thoroughly enjoyed this exceptional work experience”.

"Working with the team of an award-winning chef demands such a high standard of work and professionalism, and I am incredibly proud of the achievements of all the students who took part”, said food teacher Joe Mann, “Magdalen Chapter has been a great supporter of the school and we are extremely grateful to General Manager Fiona Moores and to her amazing team at the Magdalen Chapter in Exeter.”

Fiona Moores said, “Afternoon tea is a British institution, and at Magdalen Chapter we blend tradition with a few contemporary twists to ensure our guests get the chance to enjoy this timeless ritual. It is the perfect way to catch up with friends and family or celebrate a special occasion. We are so pleased to be bringing this great tradition to the students of St Peter’s School and support the local community in this way.”