News

For the second time this year, a group of students had the opportunity to visit the Billingsgate Seafood School. Following a successful first trip in June, during which the feedback from Tutor CJ Jackson was overwhelmingly positive, we were invited back for another session on Wednesday 25th September 2024.

The Billingsgate Seafood School, located at the iconic Billingsgate Market in London, has been providing fish and seafood cooking training to schools in the Borough of Barking and Dagenham for the past 10 months. The school offers a wide variety of classes focused on both the preparation and cooking of seafood. The goal of these visits is to teach students about the nutritional benefits of fish, the different varieties available, and how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

During both visits, students participated in hands-on cooking and on the most recent visit students were taught how to gut, de-scale, and fillet a sea bass, before marinating and cooking it for lunch! They also prepared prawns, mussels, and smoked mackerel, which they had the chance to taste too. 

Throughout the session, Tutor CJ Jackson guided students through the theory behind different fish varieties exploring alternative options such as whiting and coley. There were also discussions about career opportunities in the catering industry, aligning with our commitment to meeting Gatsby Benchmarks for career education.

The trip included nine students aged 13-15, along with three staff members, all of whom returned with a deeper appreciation for seafood and the culinary skills needed to prepare it.