On the evening of 18 November all seven divisions (houses) took part in the annual 'Come Dine With Me' competition. You can watch the full video here.

Six judges made up of academic and operational staff were escorted to each division to enjoy a tasty dish along with some very interesting entertainment. 

Dunbar kicked off the evening by inviting the judges to don hats and scarves. The reason soon became apparent as they were led outside to sit by the firepit and enjoy some chatter whilst the pupils served up two mocktails of warm apple punch and mock mulled wine. The sparklers were a great touch.

The next course was canapes served up in Port Jackson. Whilst the bruschetta faced some criticism for its soggy bottom, the entertainment in the form of a full wedding and reception was very highly rated.

The starters were served by a very professional group of waiters in Harbinger. Serving up a range of starters from around the world, the judges were very impressed with the homemade sushi. They were entertained with a quiz on flags of the world and it transpires that Mr Skidmore has an encyclopaedic knowledge of flags!

Next up was the fish course served in the undersea world of Illawarra. All of the judges agreed that the scallops and homemade ravioli were divine. They were treated to some beautiful singing from the girls, along with a ‘Fresh Prince’ rap rewritten, especially for the occasion.

The meat course was served in Hesperus which became an American hunting lodge for the night. The judges were invited to ‘shoot’ their dinner (a pupil dressed as a moose) which was served up with some excellent mashed potato. The pupils did a great job of staying in character, although the American accents were a little unstable, and the bucking bronco performance was quite a hit.

The judges, feeling rather full by now, headed over to ‘Club Q’ in Macquarie for their dessert, which was Baked Alaska. The Gun Room had been converted to a nightclub, complete with DJ decks and lighting. The dessert was ‘baked’ in front of the judges, and served in very generous portions. Dr Hennah and Mrs Hayward were invited to take part in a dance off, judged by Mrs Greenwood. Dr Hennah performed an amazing routine, complete with breakdancing, so was judged to be the clear winner.

Finally, the judges made their way to St George  to complete their gastronomic experience with petit fours. The Gun Room had been set-up as a club lounge, with a wonderfully  relaxing ambience, aided by the beautiful singing voices of the St George girls. The petit fours, which included homemade fudge and various fruits dipped in chocolate, were served with tea and coffee and unanimously judged to be delicious.

A film of the evening was shown to the pupils in the Head’s Assembly two weeks later, and the winning division was announced: Illawarra.

Tom Cheney, Assistant Head, Boarding said: "The event was an enormous success. We were really impressed with the amount of work that went into the food and entertainment, and especially pleased to see so many day pupils involved, alongside our boarders. We always enjoy Come Dine With Me and can’t wait to see what the pupils come up with for next year!"