Design and Technology :

Evaluating an existing product and designing our own pies

We kicked off our Cookery and Nutrition topic by learning about the history of one of our local dishes Scouse.  Did you know that the dish has its origins in Sweden, Germany and Norway when seafarers would sail into Liverpool as part of its huge trading port. Those who worked at the port loved the warming dish so much that dockers were nicknamed ' Scousers'. We also discussed the controversy around the recipe.  Lamb? Beef? Lamb and beef? Or 'blind' - without any meat! What is your preferred recipe?

We tasted some existing products, evaluating the flavour, seasoning and texture of the ingredients once cooked.  For some of us, it was the first time trying Scouse; others enjoyed tasting pickled red cabbage and pickled beetroot to accompany the dish.

Next, came the design stage.  We looked at some existing designs and then made our own - ensuring we had vents included so that our pie would not have a soggy bottom!  We used exploded diagrams and annotated drawings to plan what our pie top would look like and the preferred ingredients that we would have inside our final product.

We peer assessed each other's design getting feedback on what potential customers would like and what they would change.