On Friday 19th June 2026, Ponteland High School’s Food Technology department welcomed 60 Year 4 pupils from Ponteland Primary School for an exciting Greek Food Discovery Day.
The event, which ran across three sessions throughout the day, gave pupils the opportunity to explore Greek cuisine in a fun and hands-on environment. Each session lasted an hour and fifteen minutes and incorporated important food safety and hygiene practices, as well as washing up — giving pupils a true taste of what cooking is all about.
Highlights of the day included a live demonstration of houmous and tzatziki making by Richard Bell, PELE Trust Area Catering Manager, followed by pupils creating their own Greek salad pots and dressings under the guidance of Mrs Wickham and Mrs Lovekin. The food tasting portion of the session proved particularly popular, with pupils sampling olives, houmous, tzatziki, chicken souvlaki and pitta breads. Dietary needs were carefully catered for throughout.
The pupils were engaged and enthusiastic from start to finish, demonstrating impressive knowledge and a wonderful willingness to try new foods. Each child left with their very own Greek salad pot and a recipe card to recreate the dish at home.
The day was a fantastic success and a wonderful example of what can be achieved when local schools work together.