Students in Year 10 at Launceston College recently had the chance to dive into the world of seafood with a pop-up mussel festival.

Headed up by Steve Pidgeon, the college’s head of hospitality and catering, the event featured freshly prepared Thai-style mussels and focaccia bread, all made by students using locally-sourced ingredients.

The opportunity was made possible after the school entered a competition hosted by the Food Teachers Centre. Hundreds of schools were given the chance to win 8kg of fresh mussels, supplied by Offshore Shellfish Lyme Bay.

At 6.30am on the day of the giveaway, Mr Pidgeon submitted Launceston College's entry and was thrilled to be chosen as one of the lucky winners. This prize allowed the students to prepare and serve the mussels and for many of them it was their first time working with the shellfish.

A spokesperson from the school said: “The event was a great success, with the students gaining valuable experience in food preparation, presentation, and teamwork. It also showcased the importance of using fresh, local ingredients and the opportunities that social media and community engagement can provide for educational purposes.

“Hospitality and catering students at Launceston College study everything from how to develop a customer service culture to how to motivate colleagues. They also learn about the ingredients and equipment needed to create European, Asian and other cuisines from across the world.”

Mr Matthew Thompson, principal at Launceston College, added: “This was an incredible opportunity for our Year 10 students to learn about using local produce and develop their culinary skills. It’s not every day you get to work with fresh mussels, and it was fantastic to see how excited the students were to prepare, cook, and serve the dishes to our staff and fellow students. A big thank you to Offshore Shellfish Lyme Bay for making this possible."