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City College Chefs Put Icing on the Cake for Theatre Royal

14 November 2007

Students from City College Brighton and Hove recently found themselves onstage at the Theatre Royal next to British showbiz luminaries such as June Whitfield, Lesley Joseph, Prunella Scales and Dame Vera Lynn. It was the occasion of the famous Brighton Theatre's 200th birthday and the star-studded gala show was a whistlestop journey through its history including comedy, song and dance. The students had contributed to the event by making a 6ft tall, 5ft wide cake that would doubtless have got the thumbs up from the Prince Regent who granted the Theatre its Royal Assent in 1807. He was known for his hedonistic lifestyle and this cake would probably even have been large enough to feed everyone who attended his lavish banquets!

The jaw-dropping list of ingredients for this magnificent cake were as follows: 1500g butter, 1500g margarine, 750g toasted ground almonds, 3000g flour, 4500g eggs, 3150g soft brown sugar, 160g honey, 200ml gravy browning, rum, brandy, 750g flour, 360g scone flour, 50g mixed spice, 7500g sultanas, 7500g currants and 2050g mixed peel. This extremely special recipe was devised by Richard Hook, a Lecturer in Patisserie and Confectionery at City College. He was assisted by students Marie Tai and Ryan Walshe, who are currently taking the N.V.Q. Level 3 course in Patisserie and Confectionery. Richard and the students worked right through their half-term break to complete the task.

City College

City College

Richard Hook says:

'Seeing Ryan and Marie on stage with all the stars was the magic moment for me. All the time and work was well worth it because it was such a great occasion not just for the Theatre Royal but for Brighton in general. It was wonderful to be part of it.'

Ryan says:

'Meeting all the actors and being able to watch the whole show from side-stage was brilliant. We were asked to wheel the cake onto the stage by Christopher Biggins for the big finale and being there with all the fireworks and applause and everyone singing 'happy birthday' was pretty special. I really appreciate everything that Richard has taught us so one of the best things for me was seeing the smile on his face when everything came together on the night.'

Marie says:

'Everything we learnt when we were making the cake and then seeing it being part of such a big occasion was an amazing experience. Ryan and I have both studied art so it was also great that we could use those skills when it came to painting the illustrations on the casing for the cake. All the celebrities we met on the night were lovely too.'

Julien Boast, Chief Executive of Theatre Royal Brighton, says:

'The cake made by Richard, Marie and Ryan was absolutely magnificent and it tastes as good as it looks! It was a great example of the high standards attained by City College and we're delighted that the organisation has made such a beautiful contribution to our anniversary year.'

For media enquiries, please call Brian Bell, Marketing Communications Officer, on 01273 667788 Ext. 488 or email bb1@ccb.ac.uk

About City College Brighton and Hove: Founded over 100 years ago, City College Brighton and Hove has become an international centre of excellence. Every year over 2,000 full-time and 10,000 part time students as well as many international and European students choose City College as their education provider. The College provides training to over 2,000 businesses and has a 'City Business Skills' department which focuses on employers' needs. Offering over 700 courses from basic level to pre-University level, City College is working with its partners to develop the workforce of the future.