A group of 17 IFT bachelor degree students – accompanied by IFT Lecturer Mr. Ubaldino Couto – spent 15 amazing days attending a Food, Wine and Culture Summer School in Portugal, hosted by the Setúbal Hotel and Tourism School. The delegation of 18 IFT members had a busy schedule of classes and visits, learning about Portuguese culture, particularly through food and wine.
The host school is in the coastal town of Setúbal, approximately 50 kilometres south of the country’s capital, Lisbon. The school’s recently-renovated, modern campus incorporates state-of-the-art training facilities and a touch of traditional Portuguese architecture, as it preserves some of the original features of the site where it is located, a former military garrison.
Through a combination of lectures and practical classes, the summer school programme aimed to provide participants with social and technical skills, as well as to enable them to gain specialised knowledge in Portuguese gastronomy and wines. The programme was very rich and diverse as it covered all main varieties that make up the Portuguese cuisine: Portuguese main dishes and pastry, wines and beverages, as well as typical ingredients such as olive oil. It was supplemented by insightful tours to local markets, farms and wineries.
There were numerous site visits to interesting places in the Setúbal region. Students were introduced to the village of Mourisca, in the heart of a nature reserve and dedicated to protecting traditional farming. They visited Tróia beach, to experience the typical beach culture of Portugal, and Pestana Tróia Eco Resort, an ecologically-friendly resort in the Setúbal region.
There were also visits to local wineries; students were able to learn about the life and heritage of one of the most prominent winemakers in the world, José Maria da Fonseca, and about Portuguese Muscatel wines.
The programme featured a weekend trip to Lisbon. It included a visit to iconic sights and landmarks such as the São Jorge Castle and the Baixa-Chiado, Rossio and Bairro Alto districts. Students were dismissed before lunchtime on Saturday, to enjoy some free time before returning to Setúbal the following day. Some stayed in Lisbon and joined local sightseeing tours; others explored the nearby towns of Sintra, Estoril and Cascais; and some went as far as Cabo da Roca, the most westerly point in mainland Europe.
Not only students were able to gain hands-on experience and skills through practical classes featured in the programme, they were also able to learn about Portuguese culture through lectures and tasting of Portuguese traditional cuisine. Students also exchanged contacts with their counterparts in Setúbal as well as with teaching staff members. The students’ general feedback about the programme was positive: they appreciated the arrangements made for them by the Setúbal Hotel and Tourism School.
By IFT Lecturer Mr. Ubaldino Couto
