With Freedom Festival 2019 underway, stomachs are already starting to rumble, much to the delight of Hull College’s catering students who will be hosting their first-ever street food stall at this year’s festival.
Freedom Festival Arts Trust helped to facilitate an introduction between Hull College and local company Cranswick Plc, who have been supporting the students – providing produce and skills workshops – as they create exciting dishes to feed the hungry festival crowds.
Food is an integral part of the festival experience. Last year catering students at Hull College fuelled the festival by providing the official catering for festival artists, crew, team and volunteers. Their professionalism and skills led to high praise from artists and volunteers alike, with international visiting artists commenting on the nature of the programme, stating how nice it was to see young people front and centre of the festival experience.
This year, Hull College students are going a step further. Positioned in the Queen’s Garden’s site, they will be using locally sourced pork and chicken to provide hot Asian barbeque food for festival-goers within the Queen’s Garden site.
Students will also be preparing lunch and dinner for guests throughout the event, cooking three-course meals with a strong focus on fresh produce, vegetarian and vegan food – all supported by Catering Course Leader Ian Snedden and colleagues.
Working as a team, 30 Hull College students and six staff members will deliver first-class food at the Festival and are excited to experience this fantastic opportunity. Students are expected to work hard to deliver an excellent experience to festival-goers, working real shifts, preparing and cooking food for many European visitors. They will encounter real-life restaurant situations, increasing their knowledge about the catering industry.
Cranwsick Plc and Hull College are keen to expand this partnership and are in the process of exploring a wider student enrichment programme to support students studying in a number of areas including hospitality, business and engineering, reflecting the diversity of the food industry.
Jenny Howard-Coombes, Executive Director and Joint CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, explained: “We take great pride in building meaningful relationships with our partners rooted in integrity, trust and a shared commitment to enriching lives. Many of our partners have been with us for a number of years and time affords a greater understanding of each other, which in turn allows us to see and imagine new ways of working towards positive outcomes.
“We’re always seeking out new ways to impact positively on our local communities and by facilitating a partnership between two of our long-standing supporters, we’re able to play a part in further championing young people in this city.
“We’re driven by a belief that cross-sector collaboration is integral to sustainable social, cultural and economic regeneration and is a driver for innovation within the arts sector and wider industry. For us, partnerships aren’t simply a means to fund our work. They’re a gateway to discovery, to innovation, to communities, to ideas and endless opportunities.
“We’re incredibly excited by this development and look forward to seeing how the partnership evolves over the coming months and years. This, I’m sure, is the beginning of a relationship which will benefit a significant number of young people in the city.”
Ian Snedden, Catering Course Leader at Hull College, said: “It’s an honour to be involved with this year’s Freedom Festival. It’s truly an inspirational experience and gets students ready for the world of work. This is just one of many events that our students get involved with and it gives them the skills to be unbeatable in their field and chosen industry.”
Jenny continued: “Freedom Festival and our year-long programme of work wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners, funders and supporters. We don’t just see our partners as supporters of our work, we’re always looking at ways we can add value, strike up conversations, innovate and add real value to our city and its people.”
