Enriching student pathway into industry 

Hull College Catering Students Team up with Cranswick Plc to feed artists and audiences 

Freedom Festival, is already underway as artists from across the globe converge in Hull to delight audiences.    

Freedom Festival Arts Trust has helped facilitate an introduction between - Hull College and Cranswick Plc - who are coming together at this year’s Freedom Festival as catering students delight festival goers with a street food stall.

Cranswick is supporting Hull College catering students to host their first ever catering stand at this year’s Freedom Festival, by providing produce and delivering skills workshops to help prepare the students to create exciting street food dishes as part of Freedom Festival 2019. 

Food is an integral part of the festival experience. Last year catering students at Hull College fuelled the festival by providing the official catering for festival artists, crew, team and volunteers. Their professionalism and skills led to high praise from artists and volunteers alike, with international visiting artists commenting on the nature of the programme, stating how nice it was to see young people front and centre of the festival experience.

This year Hull College students are going a step further by providing hot Asian barbeque food within the Queen’s Garden Site for festival goers, using locally sourced pork and chicken. Students will be preparing lunch and dinner for guests throughout the event, cooking three course meals with a strong focus on fresh produce, vegetarian and vegan food – all supported by Catering Course Leader Ian Snedden and colleagues.

30 Hull College students and six staff members will be working as a team to help deliver first class food at the Festival and are excited to enjoy the fantastic opportunity. Students are expected to work hard to deliver an excellent experience to festival goers, working real shifts, preparing and cooking food for many European visitors. They will encounterreal life restaurant situations, increasing their knowledge about the catering industry.

Cranwsick Plc and Hull College are keen to expand this partnership and are in the process of exploring a wider student enrichment programme to support students studying in a number of areas including hospitality, business and engineering, reflecting the diversity of the food industry. 

Jenny Howard-Coombes, Executive Director and Joint CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, explained: “We take great pride in building meaningful relationships with our partners rooted in integrity, trust and a shared commitment to enriching lives. Many of our partners have been with us for a number of years and time affords a greater understanding of each other which in turn allows us to see and imagine new ways of working towards positive outcomes.

“We’re always seeking out new ways to impact positively on our local communities and by facilitating a partnership between two our long-standing supporters, we’re able to play a part in further championing young people in this city.

“We’re driven by a belief that cross sector collaboration is integral to sustainable continued social, cultural and economic regeneration and is a driver for innovation within the arts sector and wider industry. For us, partnerships aren’t simply a means to fund our work. They’re a gateway to discovery, to innovation, to communities, to ideas and endless opportunities.

“We’re incredibly excited by this development and look forward to seeing how the partnership evolves over the coming months and years. This, I’m sure, is the beginning of a relationship which will benefit a significant number of young people in the city.”

Ian Snedden, Catering Course Leader of Hull College said: “It’s an honour to be involved with this year's Freedom Festival. It's truly an inspirational experience and gets students ready for the world of work. This is just one of many events that our students get involved with and it gives them the skills to be unbeatable in their field and chosen industry.”

Jenny continued: “Freedom Festival and our year-long programme of work wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners, funders and supporters. We don’t just see our partners as supporters of our work, we’re always looking at ways we can add value, strike up conversations, innovate and add real value to our city and its people.”