BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER adopting the learning institution back in January, the Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI) has been conducting programmes with the Irishtown Primary School, and yesterday (Mar. 30) was no different.
The students there were treated to a cooking class with the hotel’s Executive Chef Larry Monrose, on the school’s compound.
Students were taught how to make ‘fish broth’ and ‘rice krispy strips’.
School principal Jean Nisbett-Boddie noted that since the January 23 adoption, the hotel has been making contributions including assisting with their sports day.
“We are grateful for all that they have done for us.”
Two students were able to gain hands-on experience in the kitchen, as they were suited up with their aprons, and faced the fire in their bid to make the two dishes.
The principal expressed hope that the exercise would spur career thinking by the students while clearing their minds to build their culinary skills in the future, whether in hospitality or the tourism sector.
Executive Director of Events at the Tourism Authority Allister Williams, commended the hotel for partnering with the school to put on the cooking exercise.
He pointed out that they are pleased to see some of their stakeholder groups partnering with community-based institutions, such as the Irishtown Primary School.
Williams expressed that this is in keeping with the Tourism Authority’s mandate to create greater awareness about “food tourism” and to encourage nationals to eat out on a more regular basis.
“That is why from the 19-30 July, this year, we are hosting Restaurant Week. And Restaurant Week is intended to get more nationals eating out, and over the last several years, we have managed to get our partners, restaurants and eateries to offer special rates to nationals,” he explained.
The Executive Director noted that if all say that tourism is the economic pillar of the country then there is a need “to better understand the industry and at the same time, preserve the industry.”
He emphasized that it is for that reason that the Tourism Ministry is happy to be able to pilot tourism back into the school system.
The students told reporters that they were happy to have gained the experience to cook. Though only two would have been able to gain the much-needed experience, others indicated that they would want to be chefs when they would have left school.
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