New purpose-built training room opens at Worksop's School of Artisan Food after donation left by a member of a distinguished family of butchers and bakers

The new room allows for twice as many courses to be held at the school on the historic Welbeck Estate and has been purpose-built for training in butchery, cheese-making, bread-making and patisserie.

Students can learn and eat together and the spaces reflect the collegiate ethos of the school.

The school had been the beneficiary of a donation left by Miss Barbara Curtis, a member of the distinguished family of butchers and bakers AW Curtis and Sons Ltd, now known as Curtis of Lincoln.

Miss Curtis, who worked for the family firm all her life, made the bequest to The School of Artisan Food for a new, purpose-built training room to be built, as she wanted to encourage the development of education in artisan food skills.

The room has already been used to teach the local community and students in the Advanced Baking Diploma and Nottingham Trent University’s course in Artisan Food Production.

The Barbara Curtis Training Room was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, Sir John Peace, who unveiled a commemorative plaque, specially designed and executed by master calligrapher Phil Surey, of The City and Guilds school in London.

Founder of The School of Artisan Food, Alison Swan Parente said: “We were delighted to welcome so many people from our local community to this event, from the Lord Lieutenant and members of Bassetlaw Council to the manager of the Bassetlaw Food Bank and representatives from Rhubarb Farm, Bolsover Woodlands Enterprise, and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum to many of our neighbours from Welbeck.

"We were able to thank the Welbeck Estate, the LEADER project, Tarmac Lafarge and of course the Barbara Curtis Trust for their invaluable contribution towards our brilliant new training room.”

She added: “The School of Artisan Food has been the very fortunate beneficiary of the estate of the late Miss Barbara Curtis who came from distinguished family butchers and bakers in Lincoln.

"Her wish was to help young people to learn how to make good food from scratch, and the school can provide a place for that wish to come true.

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