Catering students take over lunch service for the Emsworth British Food Fortnight

Young people from Highbury College in Cosham swapped the classroom for the kitchen yesterday.

As part of the Emsworth British Food Fortnight, aspiring chefs took over the lunchtime service at the Brookfield Hotel and Hermitage Restaurant.

For three hours, they felt the pressure as they learned new tips and tricks and prepared courses under the watchful eyes of a host of professional chefs.

Among those taking part was 17-year-old Sydney Knight who worked on the pastry section, serving two delectable dishes – chocolate mousse and pear and almond tart.

Speaking about the experience, she said: ‘I really, really enjoyed it. I can definitely see myself working in an environment like that in the future.

‘When the dessert orders started coming through we had to work really quickly and the adrenaline was fantastic.

‘It was quite fun working under pressure and getting to boss people about a little bit too.’