A team of aspiring Year 9 Business Leaders from Millthorpe School took the reins at a York luxury hotel this week, as they hosted a festive business networking event as part of an ongoing partnership.
The partnership between the school and Middlethorpe Hall gives students the opportunity to work with professionals at the hotel through Hospitality Connect, a project that has been adopted by the Hospitality Association York which matches their hotelier members with local schools. The aim of this partnership work is to shine a light on the hospitality sector and provide students with a series of encounters that will raise awareness of the breadth of opportunity within the industry.
Back in July, the team of Year 9 students from Millthorpe School were introduced to their challenge by Middlethorpe Hall’s Director & General Manager, Lionel Chatard, and Conferencing and Banqueting Manager, Julia Betteridge, who invited the students to design, plan, and host a professional Christmas business networking event.
Throughout the autumn term the students took full ownership of the event. They created invitations, devised a guest list, contacted attendees, and collaborated with Middlethorpe Hall’s kitchen team to develop the canapés to be served on the evening. The group also visited the hotel to learn about its history and to tour the Grill Room, kitchens and gardens, gaining valuable insight into hospitality operations.
On the day of the event, students arrived straight from school and divided into three teams -kitchen, service, and front of house. The kitchen team worked under the guidance of Middlethorpe’s chefs to prepare and assemble an impressive selection of both savoury and sweet canapés. The front of house team created name badges, finalised speeches, and learned guest reception skills. The service team prepared the event space, ironing tablecloths, arranging decorations handmade by students from Millthorpe’s Applefields Satellite School, polishing glassware and silverware, and organising a mocktail station. Students were also treated to a mocktail-making demonstration, with two pupils serving freshly made drinks throughout the evening.
The event opened with a proclamation from York’s Town Crier, Ben Fry, followed by speeches from Year 9 students Annabelle who welcomed guests and Marianne who spoke on behalf of the evening’s charity SASH, Principal Kavina Rothenburg, and the Lord Mayor, accompanied by the Sheriff Consort. Year 9 student Immy closed the evening with thanks on behalf of the school.
The students were also honoured to welcome Adrian Ellis, founder of Hospitality Connect, 2022 Hotelier of the Year, and former General Manager of the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.
Invited guests enjoyed the expertly prepared canapés accompanied by live piano music from Freddie, a Year 11 student, which contributed to a warm and engaging atmosphere.
Sarah Watts, Careers Lead at Millthorpe School said “We are committed to providing as many opportunities as possible to our students through our extensive Careers programme, so we’re thrilled about the opportunities this partnership with Middlethorpe Hall brings to our students. On behalf of everyone at Millthorpe I’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Lionel, Julia and the whole team for making this possible.
“It was a wonderful event, with a festive, cheery atmosphere and our students were simply fantastic at hosting and making sure the event was a success. So many of the guests at the event came to speak to me about how mature the students were in their conversations and how impressed they had been by their work ethic and dedication to make it succeed. I am super proud of everyone involved.”
Middlethorpe Hall’s Director & General Manager, Lionel Chatard said “The team at Middlethorpe Hall & Spa and I were delighted to work with the students on this exciting project. We were impressed by the dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism displayed by them during our regular meetings over the last four months and especially on the day of the event when they truly shone. We are grateful to everyone who attended the networking event – there was an impressive turnout, with many valuable connections made or renewed.
“We look forward to continuing working with Sarah Watts and the Personal Development and Careers team at Millthorpe School, on creating more interesting projects for the students throughout the forthcoming year.”
Millthorpe’s Careers programme runs throughout the school, with students from Years 7-11 benefiting from a host of opportunities. The programme aims to motivate students by giving them a clearer idea of the routes to the jobs and careers that they will find engaging and rewarding as well as equipping them with the necessary skills to secure a job.
10 December 2025
