Students used teamwork, kitchen skills and a sprinkling of creativity in a competition to create a winning mocktail for Prom 2026.
Each residence took on the challenge of creating a mocktail fit for the Alice in Wonderland-inspired prom.
After a closely fought contest, Kent House came out on top with their imaginative drink, The Tea Party Tipple. Kent House representative Jess Jump accepted the award on behalf of her house. The winning mocktail will now be served at Prom in July.
Judges David Thompson-Pearce, Head of Hospitality and Food, and Paula Hampson, Accreditation and Standardisation Officer, were the judges. They sampled each entry and scored the mocktails on their name, appearance, smell and taste.
Paula said: “Well done everybody. There were some absolutely excellent mocktails. It was a difficult decision but we could only choose one winner.”
It was a close-run finish, with Kent House finishing just one point ahead of joint runners-up Acorns and Day Students.
The challenge was part of students’ timetabled Independent Living Skills sessions. Over the past week, each residence has been busy creating recipes, exploring flavours, considering nutritional value and presentation, preparing fruit, and carrying out the all-important taste tests.
Independent Living Skills support students to build confidence and develop practical skills for adulthood, including cooking, housekeeping, travel training, money skills, green living and community involvement.
Congratulations to Kent House, and well done to everyone who took part. We can’t wait to taste the Tea Party Tipple at Prom!
