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Archives for May 2021

Mark Bike Week with a break at Walled Garden Cafe

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Wrexham Paramedics John Jones and Ian Laing enjoyed a 40-mile cycle ride on their day off, stopping off en-route at Derwen College’s Walled Garden Cafe in Gobowen.

Derwen College’s Walled Garden Café is welcoming customers arriving by pedal power during national Bike Week and offering them a free energy bar.

For Bike Week, from 30th May to 5th June, Derwen College is urging bikes, trikes and tandems to stop off for a well-earned break. All customers arriving by pedal power will receive a free energy bar to fuel up for their journey home. Cyclists can also enjoy a break in the walled garden and peruse the new Garden Café menu which offers breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, hand-made cake and much more. For young bikers, the café features an enclosed play area and lunchbox options for hungry little riders.

Derwen College was nominated as Café of the Year 2020 by Cycling UK, and was proud to be nominated by cyclists from Shropshire and surrounding counties.

Cyclist Cafe of the Year

The café proudly displays its Cyclist Café of the Year nominee sticker and is proud to be a regular stop off for many cyclists.

In a letter to Derwen College, Cycling UK Director of Influence and Engagement Matt Mallinder explained the importance of the award.

He said: “The awards were established to encourage cyclists from around the UK to recognise the many cafes offering not only the best welcome to riders but outstanding coffee and cake.”

“During what was a tough year for the hospitality industry, the public submitted more than 2,000 nominations, a record number, and with the finalists decided by our expert panel, everyone was a winner in our eyes.”

Commercial manager Pete Evans said: “We are lucky to have many cyclists passing by from Shropshire and Wales, and are honoured that they recognise us as one of the Cyclist Cafés of the Year.

Derwen’s Walled Garden Cafe offers a fabulous selections of delicious handmade cakes and a new breakfast and lunch menu.

“Derwen College is proud to welcome all cyclists and to reward them for their efforts with an energy bar during Bike Week.”

The college, which provides work experience opportunities and independent living skills to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, has commercial areas which are open to the public. As well as the delightful Walled Garden Café, the college site also features a new ‘Vintage Advantage’ charity shop and a well-stocked Garden Centre and Gift Shop, along with free parking and a friendly welcome.

The college is proud to have won Specialist Provider of the Year in the TES FE Awards 2021.

For more information about eating and shopping at Derwen here.

 

New look for Derwen Walled Garden Cafe

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The Walled Garden Café, at Derwen College, is welcoming back customers, and there’s a new look and a new menu.

Derwen Walled Garden Café, in Gobowen, near Oswestry, has reopened with a bright new look and delicious home-cooked menu. And, both have already garnered high praise from visitors.

The college is welcoming back customers to eat inside the newly redecorated Walled Garden Cafe. Or, for sunnier days, they can enjoy sitting in the outside seating area or stunning Walled Garden.

The Walled Garden Café at Derwen offers a fun new gardening-themed menu offering a range of delicious delights. For example, there’s a Gardener’s Breakfast for the early planters or a chunky sandwich for those who need a lunch-time boost after some heavy digging. So, there’s certainly something for the whole family.

The menu features breakfasts, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, salads, paninis, soup, hand-made cake and the new ‘sandini’ which has become a hot topic. For youngsters, there’s the ‘Seedlings Lunch Box’.

Wonderful reviews

Pete Evans. Commercial Manager, says that staff and students are over the moon to welcome back customers to the Derwen Walled Garden Café. Feedback from visitors, he says, has been overwhelming.

“Everyone is loving the new garden-themed menu because it has something for everyone, even those who don’t have greenfingers!

“The new ‘sandini’ has got people talking. It has been likened to a toasted sandwich, but we think it’s a bit more special than that.”

“Visitors are enjoying our outside areas on sunny days. But for the more dreary days, we’ve brought an al fresco flavour inside as well.

“It’s wonderful to see our regular customers returning and to meet families, home-workers, couples and gardeners who are discovering us for the first time. “

As well as the delightful Walled Garden Café, the Derwen College site also features a new ‘Vintage Advantage’ charity shop and a well-stocked Garden Centre and Gift Shop, along with free parking and a friendly welcome.

For more information about eating and shopping at Derwen College, and to see the new menu, go to www.visitderwen.co.uk

Derwen@Telford’s first pop-up stall

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Visitors from local business, families and friends of students flocked to Derwen College’s first Telford market stall.

Students with learning difficulties, disabilities and autism practised their hospitality, customer service and business skills on a pop-market stall at Derwen@Telford this week. The stall was run by day students at the college’s Telford satellite, and visiting Retail & Enterprise students from the college’s site near Oswestry.

Derwen College, which opened its newest satellite site in Telford last September, invited families, supporters and the community, to join them at their Stafford Park site for drinks, snacks, and gifts and goodies galore.

Derwen@Telford  students, who are based at Stafford Park 7, in Telford, were joined by staff and students from the college’s Gobowen site who brought home-made bread, jam, chutney and cakes made in the college’s on-site Food Centre. There was also handmade jewellery and bags, candles, soaps, snacks, chocolates, crisps and drinks.

Derwen@Telford satellite lead Lucy Harrison said that students and staff were excited to use their work skills for the first of many stalls and that the day was a great success.

She said: “Day students at Derwen@Telford learn business and hospitality skills which they were able to put into practice in preparing for this event, as well as serving and greeting people on the day. We created flyers and posters to encourage visitors from the local business area, and contacted families, parents, professionals and families from local schools.

“We were extremely busy printing promotional materials such as stickers with our branding on.

“So were really happy to be rewarded by so many visitors to our site. It was wonderful for students to enjoy their first customer-facing roles, and for people in the community to  find out more about what we do. Our stall also made a grand total of £340!”

To find out more about learning, independence and work experience as a day or residential student at Derwen College, then sign up to the College’s Summer Open Day on 26th June.

Sign up to the main site Open Day

Or sign up to find out more about our satellite sites at Telford, Baschurch and Craven Arms.

A slice of life at Gobowen Station Cafe

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The Station Café in Gobowen marked a welcome return to the heart of the community with a bespoke cake that spelled out its very special qualities.

The café, which is run by students from specialist further education provider Derwen College, has reopened to the public. Gobowen Station Café welcomes regulars from the community as well as commuters and day trippers taking the train. The café also provides young adults with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with work experience, supporting them to learn the skills to work in hospitality after leaving college.

The celebration cake – made by Hospitality & Food staff and students at Derwen College – symbolised the partnership between independent rail agency Severn Dee Travel, the Chester to Shrewsbury Rail Partnership and the College. Each slice spelled out a word that described this unique relationship including: Inclusive, Community, Connections, Opportunities, Independence and Partnership.

Unique partnership

Derwen College Commercial Manager Pete Evans said that the idea for the cake came about during a conversation with Chester Shrewsbury Rail Partnership Community Rail Officer Sheila Dee.

He said: “We were talking about how unique our partnership is. We decided that what we did at the station was very much like a cake as it illustrated so many ingredients being brought together. Gobowen Station Café is a mixture of many things that benefit many people equally and everyone has their slice of the cake.

“I was talking about a metaphorical cake, but Sheila loved the idea, and said “make that cake to celebrate our reopening! We are lucky to have experienced cake baker and decorator Tracey Southern amongst our Hospitality & Food staff. So here we are!”

Severn Dee Travel and Derwen College are excited to welcome back commuters and visitors from the local community from 17th May. Gobowen Station is much more than simply a train platform, it’s a popular community hub as well.

Sheila Dee explained: “We are blessed that at Gobowen Station we have Severn Dee Travel, a long established rail agency but a not for profit, community-based company which always has had a community ethos. I work for the Community Rail Partnership for the line so to have had this on my patch for all my time in this job has been amazing. This has meant we have been able to develop really deep meaningful relationship with them, as with Derwen College.

“We are thrilled to welcome this wonderful partnership back, and to be able to serve the community once more.”

Visit Derwen @ Telford first pop-up market stall

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Students with learning difficulties, disabilities and autism will be practising their hospitality, customer service and business skills on a pop-market stall in Telford this week.

Derwen College – a further education college which supports young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) towards reaching aspirations of employment and independence – launches its first pop-up market stall at Telford on Wednesday, 19th May.

Derwen College, which opened its newest satellite site in Telford last September, is inviting families, supporters and the community, to join them at their Stafford Park site for drinks, snacks, and gifts and goodies galore.

Derwen@Telford  students will be at Stafford Park 7, in Telford, on the 19th May from 10:30am to 2.30pm, and will be selling items from across the College’s sites. They will be joined by staff and students from the College’s Gobowen site who will be bringing home-made bread, jam, chutney and cakes made in the College’s on-site Food Centre. There will also be handmade jewellery and bags, candles, soaps, snacks, chocolates, crisps and drinks. Customers will even receive a free tea or coffee with their first purchase.

Derwen@Telford satellite lead Lucy Harrison said that students and staff were excited to use their work skills for the first of many stalls.

She said: “Day students at Derwen@Telford learn business and hospitality skills which we have been able to put into practice in preparing for this event, as well as on the day. We have created flyers and posters to encourage visitors from the local business area, and have contacted families, parents, professionals and families from local schools.

“We have been busy printing promotional materials such as stickers with our branding on.

“We hope to have lots of visitors who can find out more about the College or just enjoy a cup of tea and some shopping opportunities.”

To find out more about learning, independence and work experience as a day or residential student at Derwen College, then sign up to the College’s Summer Open Day on 26th June.

Sign up to the main site Open Day at https://bit.ly/DerwenJuneOpenDay

Sign up to find out more about our satellite sites at Telford, Baschurch and Craven Arms at http://bit.ly/DCsatellitesOpen

David Austin Roses delivered to Derwen College

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Gardens & Plant Production students Tara and Ruth with the new roses.

Derwen College Garden Centre, near Oswestry, has received a new delivery of roses from world-renowned growers David Austin Roses. This is the first consignment since being chosen as one of the company’s exclusive stockist partners.

Family-run Shropshire business David Austin Roses only allows their exquisite English Roses to be sold at specially selected outlets. Derwen College Garden Centre and Gift Shop, near Oswestry, is delighted to be one of these selected retailers invited to join the David Austin Partnership Programme this year.

Gardens & Plant Production students Tara, Ruth and Oliver and Garden Centre Commercial Supervisor & Curriculum Link Will Lyon were on hand to check and display the new stock. Varieties include ‘Tranquillity’, ‘Mill on the Floss’, ‘Darcey Bussell’, ‘Molineux’ and ‘James Galway’. The roses are all priced at £21.99.

Derwen College Commercial Manager Pete Evans said that the college was proud to have been chosen by David Austin Roses as one their carefully selected stockists.

He said: “It is a privilege to be selected as one of only a few retailers to sell David Austin Roses in Shropshire.”

Will Lyon said: “We have all been very excited to receive the first delivery of David Austin roses since we were selected to join their partnership programme. Customers have been excited to see the new roses, which are a fabulous addition to our wide range of plants, shrubs and trees.

“Students on the College’s Gardens and Plant Production work pathway tend to and care for a variety of plants at the Garden Centre. While, Retail and Enterprise students learn valuable business and customer services skills working in the Garden Centre and Gift Shop. Come and visit us for a relaxed shopping experience in beautiful surroundings, and enjoy a cup of tea and a bite to eat whilst you’re here.”

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DerwenCollegeDerwen College@DerwenCollege·
22 Jul

This year's #Derwen #prizegiving wasn't the big event of previous years, but there was still much cheering and support for our Students of the Year. Read this and all our news at https://www.derwen.ac.uk/latest-news/
Well done everyone. Keep up the good work at home!

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