Bellevue Place Education Trust

Alain Roux Cookery Masterclass at Braywick Court School

Braywick Court School Year 5 pupils were in for a tasty treat when Alain Roux, Michelin starred chef and Chef Patron of the Waterside Inn in Bray, was joined by his Head Chef Fabrice Uhryn to lead a cookery masterclass on Thursday 27th June.

This unique opportunity was organised after Alain Roux himself contacted Headteacher Michelle Robertson, as he was looking for a local school to work with as part of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts 'Adopt a School’ programme. The aims of the programme are to connect professional chefs with schools in their local community in order to help children develop healthy eating habits. The workshops are designed to encourage enthusiasm and interest in food, whilst teaching children about cooking and sustainability.

Braywick Court School were all too keen to develop a community partnership with local organisations to enrich their curriculum. After a visit to the school and a planning meeting with staff Alain and Fabrice designed a bespoke two hour workshop, providing all equipment and ingredients.

The morning consisted of a tasting session during which pupils were encouraged to explore a range of fresh food, flavours and textures. This gave the children the opportunity to learn how flavours complement each other, and explore their personal preferences. The second part of the workshop allowed pupils to gain practical experience of preparing ingredients. The Year 5 pupils were provided a selection of delicious and nutritious ingredients by the Chefs, which included anchovies, cherry tomatoes, olives and quails eggs. The pupils were then taught how to make a delicious niçoise salad which they were able to take home and enjoy.

Headteacher, Michelle Robertson said: “This was a wonderfully enriching experience for our pupils. The enjoyment and curiosity on the faces of the children was a delight to see. Our pupils discovered a wealth of  knowledge about healthy ingredients, flavour combinations and food preparation. We feel very fortunate to have been approached to take part in this highly successful initiative. Many of our pupils live close to the Waterside Inn and enjoyed meeting Alain and Fabrice.”

Alain Roux at Braywick Court School