Paddock to Plate

On Thursday the 18th of February, the Year 12 VCAL students went on an excursion to different businesses around the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast as part of our PDS, WRS and Numeracy Classes.

Our first visit involved meeting the owner of Ket Bakery in Wallington where we had a presentation on the operations of a small business and what is involved in developing a small business. Miek, the bakery owner has a Belgian background and spoke about the importance of fresh organic chemical free ingredients as part of a balanced healthy diet.

Our next stop was Edmonds Honey in Mount Duneed where we met George, who gave us an introduction into how John started the business. George and John talked to us about the importance of a good work ethic including a positive attitude where you are prepared to “get your hands dirty and have a go.”  They also described the importance of OH&S concepts and guidelines when working closely with bees.

We enjoyed the visit to the Chocolate factory on the Great Ocean Road, in particular, we learnt about the origins of the cacao bean and the process involved to then create a variety of different types of chocolate eg. white, milk and dark. We had a tour of the precinct where we gained information about recycled water and the growing of fruit trees and local native trees. The main highlight was we were given the opportunity to make a chocolate lolly pop and also have a tasting plate of the different chocolates and ice cream.

On our way back to school we dropped into Ocean Grind in Torquay and were informed about the coffee roasting process and the nuts and bolts of running a small local business.

Overall it was an informative and interesting day gaining insights into local businesses in the region.

Olivia Sinkinson  Year 12 VCAL