Eight students from the Grange school completed their Life Skills cookery course this week and were joined by the Mayor Christchurch Councillor Nick Geary and Mrs Gillian Geary. The Mayor has chosen the Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust as one of his charities this year as he is keen to support young people with apprenticeship schemes. The course has covered butchering a chicken and filleting fish together with learning how to budget for a family meal.

The students also visited the Chewton Glen kitchen gardens and heard a talk by chef Adam Hart about the running of their new bistro kitchen and cookery school. The students have been cooking with chef Ian Hewitt for 7 weeks on a Tuesday afternoon to improve their nutrition and cooking skills. They are all being prepared for their future career choices and some have decided to train as chefs.