Boarders from across the school have this week enjoyed an array of special activities to celebrate the end of exams and help mark National Boarding Week. One of these events was ‘Taste the World’, an idea thought up by Chris Bury, Housemaster at Phillpotts, to bring together the whole boarding community while also helping raise cultural awareness. What better way to do this than through the pleasure of eating!
On Tuesday 22 June our school catering team were tasked with cooking up culinary delights from different parts of the world for boarders’ tea, where boys were able to try a little of everything. On offer there were dishes from Mexico, Greece and Japan, as well as a stall specialising in fresh fish.
Sharing and learning about food is a great way to not only bond, but also learn about each other and other cultures. With boys from 28 different countries in our boarding houses, cultural experiences such as these help them appreciate the international community that they live in.
Lower Sixth Former Louis Day explained, “’Taste the World’ was incredible this evening! I personally felt that by trying all different types of food I could more easily relate to the backgrounds of other boys, and I think it was helpful to build a stronger sense of community. Essentially, I made my way round the different stalls offering Mexican, Greek, Japanese and had a ‘taste’ of what each had to offer. I really enjoyed it as I tried certain foods that before were completely unknown to me. So, for me personally, I really enjoyed it as it took me out of my comfort zone, and it was relieving to find out that I could try different things and experience different cultures. Overall, the event was brilliant and very well organized and put together.”
Not only did the meal provide a great variety of food, but boys were also encouraged to talk to people about food from their home countries to gain a greater insight into their cultures.
Lower Sixth Former Tai Tsang-Goodwin told us how this event was a highlight meal of the year. “During the meal I ate food from many different countries, trying as many dishes as possible. I spoke with my friends from other countries, trying to learn as much as possible about what we were eating. A Japanese friend of mine, who is in the same boarding house as me, told me that, interestingly, ramen was originally imported from China but people from Japan adapted ramen by using a fish-based soup.”
James Marriott, Senior Boarding Housemaster, who helped organise the event, said, “The evening was a great success. It gave boys a chance to try foods that they might not have come across before and to learn more about different cultures, often from their peers. The food market style was brilliant for bringing the boys together as one community and sharing their experiences.”
