Students from our school learned new bread making skills at a master class held at Bettys Cookery School in Harrogate.

The Year 10 GCSE food technology students enjoyed the hands-on class, led by Master Baker, Richard Jones, in Bettys modern, purpose-built training kitchen, which is equipped with a large plasma screen to ensure participants have an excellent view of the proceedings.

Following the demonstration, the students were provided with plastic aprons and all the ingredients to make a variety of bread products themselves. After they had each produced a batch of bread buns they were taken on a tour of Bettys Craft Bakery where they watched staff making pastries, confectionary and other delights for Bettys six café tea rooms.

After leaving the Cookery School, the party travelled into Harrogate and enjoyed afternoon tea at Bettys famous Café Tea Room.

Sarah Armstrong, Head of Technology at Bishop Barrington School, said: “The Cookery School kitchen is wonderful with granite worktops and plasma tv. The bread making demonstration was excellent. The students were so enthusiastic and well behaved, both in the Cookery School and in the Tea Room. They were a credit to themselves and the school. All of the students really enjoyed themselves and learned some new bread making skills.”

A family business, Bettys first opened its doors in 1919 and today attracts more than one million customers a year. Besides Harrogate, Bettys also has Café Tea Rooms at Northallerton, York and Ilkley.

Bettys Cookery School, which opened in 2001, offers a wide selection of practical courses and demonstrations for all ages and abilities.