Member Article

Students’ WW1-themed afternoon tea for Work Discovery Week 2014

Students at a North East secondary school are stepping back in time to offer diners a taste of wartime Britain.

Year nine pupils, Jessica Wilkinson, Lucy Prior, Allyson Stonehouse, Chloe Farr and Elle Todd from Sandhill View School, Sunderland, won a competition to design a special afternoon tea for Work Discovery Week 2014.

Now, the 13 and 14-year-olds are putting the finishing touches to their WW1-themed offering, which will be served to diners at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel on Tuesday July 1.

Emma Blyth, Pupil Aspirations and Progression Coordinator at Sandhill View School, said: “The girls were inspired by the centenary of WW1 and worked tirelessly together to develop an afternoon tea that would help mark this occasion as part of Work Discovery Week 2014.

“They are extremely excited to have won and we can’t wait to work alongside the team at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel to bring their ideas to life for the enjoyment of hotel guests and the general public.”

Earlier this week the students met with staff at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel to discuss how their Flanders Field Feast could be brought to life, including whether traditional recipes could be used to re-create popular wartime dishes, such as corned beef sandwiches, jam tarts and fruit cake.

Following this meeting, in which the girls also conveyed their ideas for enhancing the theme with decorations and music, the Sunderland Marriott Hotel has now issued an appeal for WW1 memorabilia, which could be displayed on the day. Raoul Lemmerling, General Manager at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel: “At the Sunderland Marriott Hotel we work in partnership with educational establishments across the North East to support students interested in a career in hospitality and we’re delighted to be involved in Work Discovery Week 2014.”

“The Flanders Field Feast will be served at the hotel for one afternoon as part of this year’s event and we want to make it as memorable as possible, not just for the students at Sandhill View School who developed the idea, but for the public who come along too.

“With that in mind we would be very grateful to anyone who could lend us props, photographs or music that would help us capture the wartime era and are asking them to contact us as soon as possible.”

The afternoon tea competition, which received entries from schools across Sunderland, forms part of a variety of activities taking place for Work Discovery Week 2014.

The initiative, which returns for a second year from Monday June 30, was developed by Sunderland’s Economic Leadership Board – Business:Schools Task Group to forge stronger links between companies across the region and school pupils in the city.

This year’s event, which is being supported by core partners Sunderland City Council, SAFC and North East Chamber of Commerce, will also feature a series of workshops, company visits and challenges, as well as a careers fair at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “The students at Sandhill View School clearly worked very hard on their entry for the Work Discovery Week Afternoon Tea competition and have carefully considered every aspect of the event, from the food to the decorations.

“I’m looking forward to seeing their ideas brought to life at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel and I’m sure everyone who attends will appreciate their efforts.”

Headline sponsors include Nissan, catering giants 3663, Arriva, Gentoo, Sunderland University and Sunderland College with additional support from The Bridges, Accenture, Liebherr Works, Calsonic Kansei, Northumbrian Water, TRW and Grundfos.

Sandhill View School’s Flanders Field Feast, will be served at the Sunderland Marriott Hotel at 2pm on Tuesday July 1. Tickets, priced at £10, must be booked in advance by contacting Sorted PR on 0191 2656111 or emailing bernice@sortedpr.com. All proceeds will be used to support future Work Discovery Week events.

Anyone who has WW1 memorabilia they are able to lend to the Sunderland Marriott for the afternoon tea event is being asked to email kate.harland@marriotthotels.com as soon as possible.

More information about this, and the other events taking place as part of Work Discovery Week 2014, is available by visiting www.facebook.com/WDWSunderland or following @WDWSunderland on Twitter.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sorted PR .