Monday 25th February saw GMU 1/2 of Sandbank Primary produce their own version of “Come dine with us”
During the previous five weeks the boys and girls had chosen a menu to serve to a group of adults. The starter was roast butternut squash and chicken salad. This was followed by individual meatloaves served with mashed potatoes, broccoli and a courgette bake. To finish off they chose an apple and blackberry tart, served with cream or custard.

The children divided into three groups, each taking responsibility for one part of the meal. Every week a different course was prepared and tasted. Thus the children knew exactly what their guests would be eating. Whilst one group was cooking others worked on designing invitations and menus on the computer. Every child produced an individual invitation to be sent to the adult of their choice. One afternoon was spent with Scott Anderson, a local man who is trained in silver service and also cocktail making. The children really enjoyed being taught how to set the table correctly and from which side to place dishes and which side to clear.

The week before the “big day” the children tried their hand at napkin folding. After some practising several were able to produce lovely fan folded napkins, which were used for the party. The morning of the “big day” was spent in preparation. As the guests arrived they were greeted by a group of children and taken to the “dining room” where others hung up coats and asked the guests to be seated. Grace was said then service began. It would be fair to say that the guests were surprised by the quality and presentation of their starter, but that immediately set the tone for the meal. The children served every course, including apple or grape juice, and at the correct moment cleared the dishes efficiently.

The whole experience was fun and the children agreed that they had learned a lot. When asked what skill they thought they had used, a very heartfelt reply said “perseverance”, and there was no doubt at all that the peeling of apples and potatoes definitely required perseverance! The children also felt that their teamwork was good. All that was left then was for the invited guests to make their way home enormously proud of their children. Alas for those same children – there was still the dishes!