Food Festival a recipe for success

WELWYN GARDEN CITY — On Saturday 18 May, Oaklands College staff and students enticed visitors to Welwyn Garden City with their annual Food Festival, held in the town centre.

Now in its fourth year and third occasion in Welwyn Garden City, Oaklands College – in collaboration with Welwyn Garden City Town Centre Partnership – invited local restaurants and food caterers to cook up unusual and exciting dishes for visitors to try.

This year’s Food Festival featured over 10 different cuisines from Indian to Thai and Italian to Caribbean as well as the College’s very own Hospitality and Catering team selling spicy chicken kebabs and hand iced cupcakes – all of which proved extremely popular. Different jams and chutneys were available to try and buy with speciality coffees stall to wash it all down with.

Cooking demonstrations took place throughout the day, showing visitors how to cook popular dishes from saag aloo to soda bread and pavlova to sticky lemon chicken.

Crowds were drawn to the main stage with local radio station JACK FM introducing entertainment including African dancers, Asian drummers and Bollywood dancers as well as the College’s Music and Performing Arts students who showcased their talents.

Along with the myriad of food, craft stalls were also selling an array of goodies from clothes, jewellery and scarves to ethical decorations for the home. Visitors also had the chance to have their hands adorned in henna and face painting offered by the College’s Childcare department.

A new edition to this year’s Food Festival was the Kaleidoscope Zone, with cultural games, African drummers and more arts & crafts.

Zoe Hancock, Principal of Oaklands College, commented: “It was fantastic to see so many different cultures being celebrated at our Food Festival, each year the event brings a real sense of community.

“I would like to thank the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council for their support, the fantastic food stalls, the entertainers, the staff and most importantly the visitors that made the day a fantastic success.”