Equipped with green aprons, a big appetite and a lot of enthusiasm our students from Inscape House School and Inscape Vocational College joined the expert team at Pizza Pilgrims Manchester for a masterclass at their restaurant in Deansgate!
Josh (General Manager at the Manchester branch), Stacey (People Partner) and Diego (chef extraordinaire) welcomed us upstairs, in their secret training room where the restaurant usually hosts private groups for pizza making classes. The students received a snazzy goody bag and their very own Pizza Pilgrims aprons before they got stuck in learning how to make Neapolitan pizzas.
Diego talked through the pizza making process from sourcing ingredients, to the right techniques for stretching the dough, and showing off his skills taking pizza from the workspace to the oven. It was his first time working with young people so the stakes were high, but he quickly realised he’s a pro at engaging students and shared plenty of laughs and high-fives with them.
Diego said ”It was wonderful. I was really proud, they learned really fast. I want to do this more often!”
Students asked lots of questions about the process of pizza making, noticing little details like the way staff hold the paddles, the difference in cheeses used and how differently gluten free dough behaves. Some of them came prepared with prior knowledge of cooking – some, like Ryan from Inscape Vocational College are keen cooks at home already. Ryan says “I cook a lot at home, I love it – pizzas, chillies, anything”. Other students, like Idris and Molly, have already completed a work experience programme at Gusto Italian, where they’ve experienced pizza making alongside serving, making drinks and taking orders.
Marie Young, Post 16 & Careers Lead at Inscape, says “The pupils picked up the skills quickly and were genuinely excited to take part. It was a really positive opportunity for them, and they gained so much from the experience.
Work experience is very valuable for autistic young people – it helps them build a stronger CV, gives them hands-on experience in real working environments and helps them come out of their comfort zone.
Careers Education is a key part of our curriculum at Inscape House School. We provide a range of events to offer providers an opportunity to access the school to offer impartial careers advice to students and/or their parents.
