Private School News

GARY RHODES OPENS QUEENSWOOD’S COOKERY SUITE

On Saturday 6 March 2010, Queenswood School, Hatfield, welcomed celebrity chef, restaurateur and author Gary Rhodes OBE to officially open the new state-of-the-art practical cookery suite. For many years the girls have had a vital ingredient missing from school life: cookery lessons. The suite, which was completed in the autumn, was masterminded by the school and generously supported by parents and others.

This sensational facility has top of the range equipment including a ‘chef’s theatre’ (overhead TV monitor for demonstrations), movable work stations and professional Küppersbusch ovens. A school-wide competition was held to name the new suite and the winner was Hannah Watters from Wheathampstead with ‘Haute Quisine’.

Gary Rhodes was a natural choice to open the new cookery suite as he has been connected with the Focus on Food campaign and the Cooking with Schools programme which is all about putting healthy eating at the heart of the classroom, showing children how to prepare and cook healthy food – and having fun in the process. Our girls certainly have a lot of fun in Haute Quisine and Gary spent over an hour meeting pupils, parents, staff and sponsors and sampling the delicious canapés which the girls were preparing.

In opening ‘Haute Quisine’ Gary said: “It is so inspiring to see so much enthusiasm from all involved, and to discover a kitchen so sensibly designed and beautifully crafted. It is a fantastic addition to an already wonderful school”. He paid tribute to Practical Cookery teacher, Mrs Jayne Lee, for her ‘obsession’ with the subject. Jayne, whose husband David is the Executive Chef at the school, is delighted with the new venture and said: “Food is a great area of interest at the school and the enthusiasm of the girls has been phenomenal. This occasion marks the start of many happy years cooking in HQ and we now have plans to grow our ingredients on the school’s allotments: ‘from plot to pot to plate’!

We are sure Gary would agree this is the perfect recipe for success!

Photo: Gary Rhodes with practical cookery teacher Mrs Jayne Lee and girls in Queenswood’s new practical cookery suite ‘Haute Quisine’.