The Practical Cookery suite was filled with mouth-watering aromas this week as our first hands-on Queenswood Quisine sessions took place.

QQ is our brand-new Sixth Form cookery course, devised and delivered by Mrs Jayne Lee, Teacher of Practical Cookery. Following training in October in allergens and food hygiene and safety (for which students receive a recognised qualification), our budding chefs have embarked on 20 weeks of instruction in cooking classic and popular recipes.

On the menu for week one was a delicious BLT salad with soft-boiled egg. Students mastered oven temperature control and calibration of induction hobs, perfected knife skills and considered aesthetic arrangement of the finished dish.

The course has proved very popular, and Mrs Lee is currently running two weekly sessions for Year 12 students. As well as learning vital skills for life, they all receive a recipe folder, a branded apron and a set of professional knives.