Knightsbridge School is delighted to announce an exciting collaboration with a local five star hotel, Mandarin Oriental. with one of London’s most prestigious five-star hotels, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Last September, our pupils were invited to co-create a brand-new children’s menu – food designed for children, by children.
The Mandarin Oriental is known for its world-class hospitality, home to a two Michelin-starred restaurant and exceptional dining experiences. At Knightsbridge School, we share that love of good food – Chef Alan and his team serve our pupils delicious, nutritious meals every day – so it was a perfect pairing.
From brainstorm to banquet
The project began with an exciting visit from the hotel’s Executive Chef, Francisco. Pupils shared their favourite foods and flavours, which ranged from classic burgers and pizzas to sushi, noodles, and calamari.
While the Mandarin Oriental chefs got to work transforming these ideas into gourmet dishes, our pupils took on the role of designers, creating vibrant food-themed artwork to feature on the new menu. It was a wonderful collaboration of culinary skill and artistic imagination.
Tasting the Menu
A few weeks later, our pupils were welcomed to the Mandarin Oriental’s stunning dining suites for an exclusive tasting of the menu they helped shape. The excitement was tangible as they saw their ideas plated beautifully alongside menus printed with their own designs.
Now available to all young diners at the hotel, the menu includes dishes such as Pan-roasted chicken breast, quinoa and vegetable salad, with a herb cream sauce, a “burger on wheels”, and even a bear-shaped pizza!
Watch the process unfold
The entire journey was captured in a five-part video series, following our pupils from the first brainstorm to the final taste test. The project reflects the creativity and curiosity at the heart of the KS Code, which encourages us to try to do something creative every day.
It was a unique opportunity for our pupils to learn, create, and see behind the scenes of a luxury kitchen. We’re so proud of their ideas and the joy they brought to this project.
