Telford College’s on-site restaurant has opened its doors to the public for two and three-course lunches – and is also taking bookings for its Christmas menu.
Diners can now book in for lunch at The Orange Tree on Mondays and Thursdays in November, before a full Christmas menu is served in the first three weeks of December.
The restaurant, which has a five-star food hygiene rating from the local authority, is based at the college’s Wellington campus, and has two professional kitchens, with covers for up to 50 diners.
It allows the college’s professional cookery students to put their catering skills to the test in a realistic working environment, similar to a large restaurant or hotel. The menus have been designed by the students with support from the chef lecturers.
The Christmas menu – where main courses include turkey with all the trimmings, fillet of salmon with a whisky and orange glaze, or chestnut and wild mushroom wellington – is available from December 1-4, 8-11, and 15-17.
The Monday set menu, served on November 2, 9 and 16, includes chicken chasseur, fisherman’s seafood board, beef short rib, or roasted beetroot and whipped feta tart.
For the Thursday set menu, available on November 5, 12 and 19, main courses include miso braised beef short rib, pan-seared pork loin chop, market fish pie, or roasted curried cauliflower.
All meals are prepared by the students under supervision and with support of the professional chef lecturers, and menus feature vegetarian options. Dietary requirements can be accommodated on request.
For the November lunchtime menus, two course options are £15 and three courses are £17, with drinks available from the restaurant bar at additional cost. The Christmas menu is £16.50 for two courses, or £19.50 for three.
Full details, including an online booking form, can be found here
The Orange Tree has also taken delivery of a new TM6 Thermomix mixer, which is chefs to create a range of soup, sauces and accompaniments for a wide range of dishes.
Chef lecturer Robert Lee said: “Gaining the hands-on experience of using specialist equipment like this prepares our learners for working within the industry and sets them apart from other candidates or college leavers.”
