Spanish Culinary Workshops for Fifth Form

Our Fifth Form hispanists were treated to a tapas and gastronomy experience by Canela Fina! to improve their Spanish listening and speaking skills ready for their GCSE.

The Great Hall was transformed into a mini kitchen for the day, allowing Spanish chef Demi to demonstrate various dishes to the curious pupils.  His colleague Noelia explained the cooking techniques as well as leading the students on a culinary journey around Spain and discussing  the benefits of a healthy Mediterranean style diet – all conducted in Spanish, of course. Bancrofitans sampled the delights of mollete bread with tomato, cheese and ham, gazpacho, espinacas con garbanzos (a dish of spinach and chickpeas from Seville) and lenguas de gato.  Initial scepticism at the idea of gazpacho being a cold tomato soup was quickly dispersed and everyone clamoured for “seconds”.  The workshops also offered a practical element, with the pupils helping out with the food prep.

For the pupils the highlight of the day was,  no doubt, sampling the food.  However, there was a more serious purpose behind the experience and  Head of Spanish, Inigo Urreaga Gorostidi, said that this was a memorable way of getting to grips with aspects of both the language and also the culture of Spain.