A spectacular event incorporating visits to seven Wirral attractions
Our Travel and Tourism and Catering students took part in the Familiarisation tour around Wirral attractions and local businesses during Visitor Economy Week 2017.
Tom Hughes began the tour at Port Sunlight’s heritage centre with a visit round the old women's quarters, and a talk on the history of Port Sunlight village explaining how the Lady Lever art gallery and Port Sunlight museum work together to create a beautiful tourist attraction.
Travel and tourism and catering students were greeted by Andy Pimbley at Claremont Farm, which grows kale, sprouts and cabbage. Andy offered students some food for thought around fresh produce and the importance of locally sourced ingredients.
He mentioned food provenance and believes that “traceability and quality of food keeps customers coming back”.
Students had the opportunity to purchase some delicious treats from the Farm Shop and meet the pigs!
Shore Cottage Studio provided students with the opportunity to view the stunning River Dee with an inspirational talk from Laura Heath on how to be not only entrepreneurial but intrapreneurial too. The students made Lego letterpress typography with motivational quotes to inspire them.
The luxurious 5 Star Hillbark Hotel proved a hit with afternoon tea and sandwiches followed by a tour of their exceptional facilities. Their Leverhulme Hotel Riviera restaurant took part in Wirral Young Chef 2017 last week with Marcin Sielski pulling out all the stops.
Next stop was Benty Farm Tearooms to taste some sensational scones made by Charlotte and her Mother. A short walk from the main road but well worth the visit with a welcoming log fire. We’ll certainly be back for more homemade cake soon!
A special visit to Caffe Cream’s brand new ice cream factory, which was being set up by owner Justin Dooley. Through his experiences and challenges he gave students a valuable insight into running a business. He explained the importance of continuously developing and improving for growth. The ice cream is designed to the highest standards with materials imported from Italy for the finest gelato products.
The final stop on the Familiarisation Tour was the Floral Pavilion. Marketing Manager Pippa Lea welcomed the students and showed them around the versatile range of facilities from theatre to conference centre and cafe to bar. Students even got to take away a goody bag.
Pippa said: “How good it is that young people are interested in the Visitor Economy sector now and have direct route into the different types of careers.”
Wirral Met would like to pass on a special thank you to Amanda from Wirral Council Travel Board for leading the tour and to the local businesses visited for making it a great day for students.
