Students help bring Queens of the City’s culture and cuisine celebrations to life

Live music, dance performances and great food delivered by Walsall College students helped to make the launch event for a digital recipe book a resounding success.

Queens of the City: A Taste of Belonging was held at the college and saw 16 Walsall women from across the borough share recipes and dishes relating to their culture and heritage.

Music and dance students each gave performances while hospitality students created and served each dish to over 80 guests in attendance.  These were a wide range of community, civic and organisational leaders, including Deputy Lieutenants and senior representatives from local organisations.

Recipe book starters included potato chapati bites, dumpling bites and kebabs which were served by hospitality and events students at guests’ tables.  Mains were provided from a counter service and these included Greek style meatballs, pasta, a vegetable medley, beef pie and chicken casserole.

These were followed by desserts which were served on three tier silver stands and were rice pudding, Jamaican bread pudding, pineapple upside down cake, Polish dessert, karpatka cake and a chocolate tart.

A panel discussion also took place led by the Queens exploring identity, culture and the future of community in Walsall.  These contributions sit at the heart of the wider Queens of the City project, which preserves Walsall’s stories, recipes and cultural history for future generations.

Aisha Murad, Lead Heritage Officer at LGK in the Community said: “This event celebrated the incredible women in Walsall and the cultures that shape our borough.  Food allows us to share stories, connect with one another and create a stronger sense of belonging. We were pleased to have welcomed so many people to the event at The Hub at Walsall College, and we hope residents will be inspired by the contributions of our incredible women from across the borough.”

Davinia Biggs, Programme Lead for Hospitality at Walsall College added: “This remarkable project, recipe book and event have helped our students develop a range of skills front of house and behind the scenes.  It’s been a real privilege for them to see how cooking, baking, shared meals and conversations can bring communities together.

“Their hard work before and during the event is something they will carry into their careers and look back on with real pride.”

With funding from Innovate UK, Walsall College has also supported Queens of the City by developing augmented reality solutions and filming both students and the Queens creating the recipes.

The Queens of the City Digital Recipe Book is funded through the Feeding Our Futures programme, led by Walsall Council’s Public Health team.