The workshop, which saw professional food product developers from the Kettleby Foods site guiding the group in designing and creating their very own mac and cheese dishes, not only offered a valuable work experience opportunity but also provided a tasty fundraising opportunity.
Held at Kettleby Foods, the workshop enabled the group to experience the whole process of food production, from design to manufacturing to labelling. Ed, Annie, Andy, and Chris worked alongside their development chef Emma and senior development manager Daljit to design and make 30 unique macaroni and cheese dishes. The group had a great time experimenting with cheese mixes and flavour combinations. Final dish varieties included mozzarella balls with spicy beef and pepperoni, and mixed cheeses with fresh parsley.
The 30 meals were packaged up and taken away to be sold at a special fundraising event, the Stilton Silliness Bingo Night, held at Sunny Skies Café in Melton Mowbray country park on Saturday 15 February. Part of the Leicester Comedy Festival, the bingo night raised over £600 to help Sunny Skies Enterprises CIC continue its mission to provide work and wellbeing opportunities for local people. The event was a sell-out, with over 30 people gathering for bingo games, cheesy food, and cheesy jokes. The mac and cheese dishes, sold for £5 each, received resounding praise from customers.
Sunny Skies Enterprises CIC and Samworth Brothers are planning to continue their partnership working, with plans to work together to help adults with a learning disability into paid employment.