Our Stories
Thermomixing in the Twin Rivers Café
2 minutes read8 October 2024
Spend time in the Eco Garden and Twin Rivers Café at Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School and you'll soon see why it was voted People's Choice winner in Bank First's 2024 Teaching Initiatives Program (TIP).
The school's vocational learning program helps students become employment ready, while developing educational and practical skills.
In the flourishing Eco Garden, you'll find fresh vegetables, berries and herbs. Once harvested, these are used by the budding chefs in the Twin Rivers Café kitchen.
'The idea is to teach kids how to grow produce themselves, giving them genuine skills, while also providing produce for the café program,' said teacher Cameron McMullan.
Through the Eco Garden greenhouses and Cameron’s approach to planting and harvesting, there is a year-round supply of fresh food for the café to use.
Beyond the skills that students gain in learning to plant, grow and harvest, the Eco Garden also serves as a calm environment for students to spend time in.
'The garden is a stress-relieving space. I find that it helps students' mental health, just by being around stuff that's growing. It relaxes the students and helps them connect better,' said Cameron.
The school's wood-fired oven produces fresh pizzas enjoyed by students and customers of the school's community café.
'Pizzas are our most popular item, which we make using all the produce in the garden and the Thermomix to make the dough,' said Cafe Manager Tammy Home.
Students have learned to cook a range of dishes through the café program, a life-skill that supports a significant step towards independence.
Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School's TIP grant enabled the purchase of a Thermomix, making the program safer and more accessible for students who don't have fine motor skills. 'The Thermomix makes measuring a lot easier, and there's not many dishes or mess to clean up,' said student Jessie James.
The Thermomix also makes it easier to prepare jams and preserves with surplus Eco Garden produce, reducing food waste.
The school bought a point-of-sale machine after receiving a prior TIP grant last year; 'students engage directly with the customer when taking their order at the till. It's a brilliant skill for them to have as they head out into the workforce,' said Tammy.
At Bank First, we're proud to support this truly remarkable program, supporting hands-on student learning at every level.