Millburn Academy pupils on a roll with street food burger challenge
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PUPILS in Inverness have reached the culmination of a five-week challenge to design, develop and market a burger.
Emerging triumphant was a Scotch Beef cheeseburger wrapped in turkey bacon created by Katie MacDonald, Nanija Volkova and Iona MacMillan.
The trio were praised by a panel of experts from across the Highland business industry who have also been supporting the challenge throughout, including creative agency Dynam, Scotch and Rye, The Redshank Catering Company, Williamson Foodservice and Ashers Bakery.
Lucky visitors to Scotch and Rye will be able to try out the delicious dish for themselves as it goes on the menu throughout January, with proceeds supporting the Millburn Academy Friends in Action (MAFIA) parents' committee.
Ken Loades, operations director of Cru Holdings, which operates Prime and Scotch and Rye, said: "Cru Holdings is delighted to be able to support the street food challenge. We are fully behind using locally sourced sustainable produce wherever possible.
"I have been delighted to involve my team of chefs and the managers at Scotch and Rye in this process, advising the pupils on flavour combinations, branding and advertising. It has also been a delight to work with local producers who have kindly donated fresh produce for the pupils to work with during the development process."
Each week saw the 11 groups learn a new skill through a series of workshops, each one supported by the team of industry experts on everything from branding, finance and marketing to food preparation and sustainability.
The challenge was set up by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Inverness & Central Highland alongside Food & Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland and Millburn Academy, which worked together to develop the cross-curricular programme to improve pupils' business acumen and well as their hospitality know-how.
As the Highlands continues to establish its reputation as a great place to start a business, it is hoped pupils will have developed their entrepreneurial skills to help provide them with the foundations of how to set up a successful business.
Andy Maxtone, programme manager for DYW Inverness & Central Highland, said: "When we think about the Highlands and entrepreneurialism, a positive picture comes to mind. The economy is growing; the region is well and truly open for business.
"Challenges such as these are great for inspiring the pupils to create a brand and product from scratch, learning skills that will be invaluable for their future careers – many of which don't even yet exist. This makes it all the more crucial to do all we can to build these skills today."
It comes at a crucial time for the hospitality industry, which is worth £14 billion to the Scottish economy. Future growth is being jeopardised by an increasing skills gap, and with around 27,000 new job opportunities forecast over the next 10 years, now is the time to engage the next generation.
Moira Stalker, skills manager for FDF Scotland, said: "This project brought to life the variety of exciting career opportunities available across the food and drink chain; and the important part that science, technology, engineering and maths have in growing our sector.
"The amount of work and research all the pupils put in was outstanding. Congratulations to the winners! I hope this challenge has inspired even more young people to consider a career in food and drink."
During the challenge the pupils had access to a vast larder of fresh ingredients donated from local businesses, including Scotch Beef, venison, chicken, soy and tofu. Organisers thanked Williamson Foodservice, Highland Fine Cheeses, Cullisse Highland Scottish Rapeseed Oil, The Really Garlicky Company, Highland Fish, Aberdeenshire Larder and Ashers bakery.
DYW Inverness & Central Highland is searching for more organisations to get involved with its diverse programme of activity in the new year. To find out more, contact andy@dywich.co.uk
Related article: Inverness pupils compete to launch city's newest burger
