A READING school has been visited by an esteemed alumna for the opening of new facilities.
Queen Anne’s in Caversham has unveiled its new culinary space following a significant refurbishment.
The new facility, refurbished in collaboration with Thomas Franks Catering, features updated utilities and appliances as well as a bird’s eye camera system to show pupils how food is being prepared by teaching staff.
Students and staff, as well as governors and parents, were invited to the unveiling ceremony and were joined by Afiya Titus, alumna of the school and the entrepreneur who founded Lime Hut.
Ms Titus was invited to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony and also led students in a culinary class.
Pupils set to begin their GCSE Food and Nutrition courses in September took part in a session preparing dishes inspired by Lime Hut.
Ms Titus went on to study at University College London after her time at Queen Anne’s, following which she qualified as a chartered accountant.
She then chased her passion of cooking nutritious food from a market stall in Soho before growing the business to collaborate with major international brands such as Nike, Puma, and SBTV.
Ms Titus has focused on bringing contemporary Caribbean dishes to London, focusing on health and well-being.
Following her experiences, she also set up Coco Financial, which provides financial services tailored to women to help support businesses and people who are typically underrepresented.
Speaking of the event, Ms Titus said: “What a fantastic space Queen Anne’s pupils have with the new cookery room.
“We had so much fun cooking with the Year 9 students– some of whom had never cooked before, but everyone got stuck in and made yummy Caribbean sweetcorn and plantain fritters.
“It felt pretty cool to share some of my own culture through cooking during what happened to be the school’s own celebratory and cultural awareness week.”
Full information about education at Queen Anne’s can be found online via: qas.org.uk
Details about open days and visits to the school are available via: www.qas.org.uk/admissions/visit-queen-anne-s
