Students and staff enjoyed a taste of the Commonwealth this week, as Hospitality and Food students served up a special taster menu inspired by countries of the world.
The free taster day was held through Tip Top Takeout, our student-run takeaway service, to celebrate the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which takes place from 23 July to 2 August 2026.
During break and lunchtime, we were invited to try dishes from Commonwealth countries, including coconut ladoo balls, Anzac biscuits, samosas, sausage rolls and Mbatata – Malawian sweet potato cookies.
Recipe sheets were also available to take away, complete with Makaton symbols, so students could make their own cookies at home or in College.
One student gave the menu a big thumbs up, saying: “These are really nice, especially the cookies.”
The dishes proved so popular that Hospitality students had to politely stop people coming back for seconds, to make sure there was enough for everyone to enjoy.
Tip Top Takeout is run by Hospitality and Food students as part of their work experience. On a typical day, students prepare and serve a range of lunchtime favourites such as salads, jacket potatoes, soup and paninis.
The Commonwealth taster day gave students the chance to try new recipes, develop their catering, prep and customer service skills and share lots of different flavours.