Hampstead schoolgirls enjoyed a taste of fine dining with a special hands-on look inside the kitchen of a top restaurant.

More than a dozen pupils from South Hampstead High School visited The Gilbert Scott restaurant, in the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras station last Wednesday.

Year 8 pupils from the all-girls school, in Maresfield Gardens, were given a tutorial by head chef Darren Velvick exploring the origin of kitchen language and the seasonality of ingredients.

They were also treated to a non-alcoholic cocktail and sampled some roasted vine tomato soup prepared by Mr Velvick, before joining in a Q&A session with the restaurant team.

The restaurant received a similar visit the day before from pupils at Camden School for Girls, in Sandall Road, Kentish Town.