School creates a stir with TV dinner parties spin-off

IT WAS an ideal opportunity for pupils to get their own back on teachers by slipping something nasty into their food.

But far from opting to upset stomachs, teenagers at the Royal High School cooked up a culinary treat for teachers in a mock Come Dine With Me contest.

The school adapted the popular Channel 4 series as Come Dine With Us to encourage youngsters to get inventive in the kitchen.

The contest was run over a series of weeks, with pupils and teachers taking turns to host their own dinner party within the school's home economics department.

As with the TV show – which filmed an episode in Edinburgh last summer – they gave each other points for the food, hosting skills and overall atmosphere.

The winning team – Kieran Clegg, Craig Davidson, Evan Meachan and Laurence Renton – wowed their guests with tomato and basil bruschetta, pasta de la mare, stuffed peppers and chocolate mousse.

Jill Templeton, head of the home economics department, said the challenge presented children with a "fun" way of developing their cooking skills.

She said: "The Come Dine With Us experience, inspired by the Channel 4 series, was planned to encourage creativity in menu planning and to develop social skills.

"A whole range of skills were required for the success of this exercise.

"Each group had to work as a team to plan, order, prepare, cook and serve a two-course meal to their guests, including a vegetarian option, with a creative non-alcoholic punch.

"The teachers involved were then asked to reciprocate a couple of weeks later."

As well as cooking the perfect meal, pupils were tasked with creating the right atmosphere and displaying restaurant-standard hosting skills.

Standard Grade pupil Iona Taylor's team decorated their dinner table with butterflies and flowers.

The 15-year-old told the Evening News: "We all like watching the show and thought we could use this for our practical exams.

"We really enjoyed the experience.

"It was difficult and fun at the same time, and was more than just writing about something, because we actually experienced it.

"We had a little bit of a mishap when we forgot to put the cutlery out. It was good trying to get everything out, but you don't understand how hard it is until you try."

Other meals served up by pupils included spinach and cheese pie, chicken in white wine with rosti potatoes and green veg, and Mississippi pecan pie.

The contest – which was deemed so successful that the school is planning to hold another one – also gave pupils and teachers the chance to get to know one another a little better in a "relaxed and informal" setting.

PE teacher Brian Dempsey, who was served up the boys' winning menu, said: "That was truly outstanding, the best meal I have ever tasted – a chocolate mousse to die for."

Headteacher Jane Frith added: "It was an excellent event and the kids really enjoyed it.

"The menus were really imaginative and one member of staff said it was the best meal he had had in school."