Mr P Friend - Head of Department
email: philip.friend@stcatherines.info
Philip joined St Catherine's in 1998 to teach Mathematics. Outside school, his main passion is cooking - with a particular penchant for baking. Cooking on television on BBC1’s Best Home Cook was a dream come true, and reaching the final was the icing on the cake! In some of his spare time Philip runs his own cooking website and gives food-related advice on the radio. Philip is a keen allotmenteer, an avid reader of crime fiction and loves the theatre.

Mrs C Collins - Teacher
email: crystal.collins@stcatherines.info
Crystal studied Modern Foreign Languages at The University of Auckland in New Zealand and was Head of Japanese at St Peter’s School Cambridge before moving to the U.K. Crystal has taught in the Independent, State and International sectors and was Housemistress at Repton School in Dubai where she also taught Modern Foreign Languages. She recently retrained and joined St Catherine’s in 2020 as a Teacher of Food and Nutrition and brings with her an international flavour to the kitchen. When not in school, she enjoys skiing, hosting dinner parties and spending time with her young family.

Mrs J Barratt - Technician
email: joanne.barratt@stcatherines.info

GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Examination board: AQA

GCSE Specification

Course content:

• Nutrition
• Functions of ingredients
• Food Labelling
• British and International Cuisine 
• Food Provenance: Environmental impact and sustainability
  - Food sources
  - Food and Environment
  - Sustainability 
• Food Processing and production
  - Technological developments associated with better health and food production.
• Principles of Food Safety

Assessment:

• Written examination (50%)
• Non-Exam assessment (50%)

Non-Exam Assessment - this is worth 50% of the final GCSE grade. 
The Non-Exam Assessment is made up of two distinct tasks:
1. The Food Investigation task – which is worth 15%
2. The Food Preparation task – which is worth 35% of the GCSE grade.

The tasks will allow the student to show their knowledge and understanding of nutrition, food science, food safety, food choice and food provenance. At the heart of the Non-Exam Assessment is the opportunity to showcase your practical cooking skills and your knowledge and understanding of ingredients, cooking and processes. Both projects must be completed in the final year of the GCSE course. A range of titles will be provided by AQA, both for the Food Investigation and the Food Preparation task.  These titles will change every year.

Websites:

• www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes An excellent collection of online recipes https://www.tasteatlas.com/search An interactive map of the world and dishes typical of the region you choose
• www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vt0sj/clips Short video clips on food provenance for popular foods
• www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46459714 Check the carbon footprint of your food
• www.checkyourfood.com Find out more about an ingredient in terms of its nutritional value, its provenance and how to prepare and cook it.

General Reading:

• The Flavour Thesaurus - Niki Segnit.
  An exceptional, fascinating book that shows which ingredients work well together.
• Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - Samin Nosrat.
  A great reference book to help understand four key elements of cooking in order to become a better cook – whatever your skill level.
• The Science of Cooking – Dr Stuard Farrimond.
  An in-depth but very readable analysis of the science that underlies cooking. An invaluable read for anyone who loves to cook, but an especially useful resource at GCSE.
• The Science of Nutrition: Debunk the Diet Myths and Learn How to Eat Well for Health and Happiness - Rhiannon Lambert.
  An excellent resource for GCSE food students as well as for anyone interested in how our food affect us.
• Toast – Nigel Slater.
  One of the UK’s finest cookery writers, this is a bitter-sweet account of Nigel Slater’s life since childhood.

Recipe Books:

• Simple – Yotam Ottolenghi.
  Recipes for delicious dishes and a showcase of simple, contemporary food.
• How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food – Nigella Lawson.
  Arguably one of Nigella’s best books, this is an invaluable resource for any kitchen. It is very much the sort of book you can grab off the shelf and dive into!
• Mastering the Art of French Cooking – Julia Child.
  A classic cookery book with recipes that stand up today.
• Mediterranean Food – Elizabeth David.
  Another true classic and a must for any foodie.
• Delia Smith’s Christmas – Delia Smith.
  A modern classic, with page after page of exciting festive recipes. In Mr Friend’s opinion, there is still no better Christmas cookery book than this.
• Classic Mary Berry – Mary Berry.
  A treasure trove of delicious recipes for the keen home cook, revisiting classic dishes, many with a contemporary twist.
• Nadiya Bakes– Nadiya Hussain.
  An enticing collection of delicious bakes for any occasion.
• A Cook’s Book - Nigel Slater.
  An addictively readable collection of exciting fuss-free recipes and food musings.
• Thai Food – David Thompson.
  A must for anyone who is eager to make excellent Thai food.
• Mowgli Street Food – Nisha Katona.
  Delicious, accessible Indian recipes from the fabulous Mowgli restaurant chain.

At the bottom of this page here is information about the new Sixth Form Culinary Arts course.  This course is run by Mr Friend - Head of Food & Nutrition - and is designed for girls with good cooking experience who are eager to take their cookery skills to the next level.

Culinary Arts Flyer