Victoria College students host charity event at The Atlantic Hotel
On Saturday 5th April 2014 a group of eight students from Victoria College will once again be taking over the kitchens of the Michelin-starred Ocean Restaurant at The Atlantic Hotel as they prepare and serve a specially created menu for 60 guests to raise money for Autism Jersey.
The lunch will be the grand finale of a seven-month initiative that has seen the talented 16 and 17 year old students give up their precious Saturday mornings to work with the team at The Atlantic Hotel learning all about the different sections of a professional kitchen including meat, fish and larder as well as receiving an introduction to bread-making, desserts and wine and the practical considerations of how to set a restaurant table and plan an event.
On the morning of Saturday 5th April the boys’ final preparations will be overseen by the hotel’s Executive Head Chef Mark Jordan and his kitchen brigade, together with award winning Head Sommelier, Sergio dos Santos, who will be working alongside them during the lunch to introduce the wines. However, it will be down to the lower and upper sixth form students themselves to ensure that a mouth-watering lunch is served to, among others, Atlantic Hotel owners Patrick and Treena Burke, Victoria College Headmaster, Mr Alun Watkins, teaching staff and, of course, the boys’ parents.
With the help of The Atlantic Hotel team, the boys will be producing impressive dishes such as Pavé of oak smoked haddock and leeks, crispy quail’s egg, sauce gribiche; Pot roasted maize fed baby chicken, wild mushrooms, fresh peas, truffle foam and Chocolate delice, hazelnut streusel, praline ice cream.
On the successful partnership between this leading luxury Jersey hotel and Victoria College School, hotel owner and Managing Director Patrick Burke said: “We were delighted when Will Gorman from Victoria College first approached us in 2012 to work together on this project and over the last three years our relationship has gone from strength to strength. This initiative allows us to introduce the students to a number of different facets of our business and to demonstrate the extremely exacting standards required when working in a highly professional environment such as The Atlantic Hotel where attention to detail is key. It also enables us to support a very worthy local cause in Autism Jersey.”
The opportunity to work in one of the island’s leading luxury hotels was presented to the students by teacher and Gifted and Talented Coordinator Will Gorman. Having previously run a cooking class to teach students basic culinary skills, he got together with The Atlantic Hotel to offer an opportunity for the boys to see how the hospitality industry works, to spend time in a professional kitchen and ultimately to cater for a formal charity lunch.
Will Gorman said: “This is the third year that Victoria College and The Atlantic Hotel have worked together to raise money for Autism Jersey. Our students have really enjoyed working in the kitchens with Mark Jordan and his team. They’re excited at the prospect of cooking for so many people and at the same time raising money for such an important charity.”
Tickets for the event are now on sale at a cost of £50 per person including a glass of Prosecco on arrival and a three course meal with wine. A raffle will be held afterwards, with fantastic prizes such as an iPad mini, two Sony Playstations, a JT smartphone and an overnight stay with dinner for two people at The Atlantic Hotel.