School Food Technology Trip to New York

Experience food influenced by cultures from all over the world on a food technology school trip to New York!

A vast melting pot of nationalities has given New York its unique flavour, evident in both its neighbourhoods and its food. On your school trip to New York, you can explore the markets and backstreets of the Big Apple, in search of great food from street vendors, delis and traditional restaurants. This tour is a great opportunity, offering a unique experience for your food technology group.

And you could even consider making this trip cross-curricular, by inviting other departments along to give more students the opportunity to explore New York. The city offers some great options for politics, art, business studies, performing arts, media studies, fashion, design and technology, maths and religious studies.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Flight from UK to New York

Afternoon

Transfer to accommodation on arrival

Evening

Optional evening meal at a local restaurant Take a stroll through Times Square and visit some of the major stores there including Hershey's and M & M World

Day 2

Morning

Take the free Staten Island ferry for views of the Manhattan skyline

Afternoon

Half-day tour of a New York neighbourhood with food tastings

Evening

Visit the Empire State Building for evening views over the city Optional evening meal at local restaurant

Day 3

Morning

Take a New York pizza walking tour in Little Italy

Afternoon

Explore China Town at your leisure

Evening

Optional evening meal in a China Town restaurant, followed by a Broadway performance

Day 4

Morning

Early morning visit to Union Square Market to see where the locals shop for fresh produce Free time for shopping and sightseeing

Afternoon

Transfer to the airport

Evening

Overnight flight back to UK

Day 5

Morning

Arrive back in the UK

3 nights' bed and breakfast accommodation
Airport transfers in resort
All flights including tax
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Itinerary planning service
VAT

Curriculum

GCSE

Where and how ingredients are grown, caught and reared
Distinctive features of international cuisine
International cuisine: cooking methods and equipment
Traditional and modern variations of recipes
Understand religious
/cultural factors affecting cuisine

Key Stage 3

Understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients

Accommodation

Hostelling International NY

HI New York is Manhattan’s premier hostel, and is located in a landmark building on the Upper West Side. The building was built in 1883 to help widows of both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and re-opened as HI New York in 1990.The hostel offers clean, modern, mixed and separate male/female dormitory-style accommodation (4 - 12 bedded rooms) with shared bathrooms in the hallways. Linen, towels and a housekeeping service are provided.Private rooms with and without baths are also available (subject to availability). The hostel is situated just one block from Broadway Avenue and a main subway line, and only minutes from Central Park.

Freehand New York

Situated on Lexington Avenue, the Freehand New York hotel has plenty of green spaces nearby, with Stuvesant Square Park and Madison Square Park on the doorstep. For the Epicureans, there are many local restaurants to tempt the taste buds, while in terms of sites, there is the famous Flatiron building and the National Museum of Mathematics. Rooms available to book: solo, suite, king, triple (three king-size bunk beds), queen, 'Three's Company' (queen bed with an overhead twin bunk attached) and quad (four twin-size bunk beds).

Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West

Based at 538 West 48th Street in Hell's Kitchen, Holiday Inn Express Manhattan Midtown West is on the doorstep of so much to do and see. Vistors can venture to many attractions nearby, including Central Park, Times Square, Broadway and Lincoln Center, as well as the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. 'Standard' rooms allow the option of king, double beds or deluxe king beds, plus extra floor space, city views and sofa beds. Free Wi-Fi in all guest rooms.

Tour highlights

Take a Pizza Tour

The only way to taste New York is by eating its pizza, which is exactly what you’ll do on this guided tour, while learning more about how this city made an Italian dish its own! Italians began to immigrate to the US during the 19 th century and a large Italian-American community was established in New York. Pizza restaurants began to spring up, with pizzas usually priced by the pie. Unable to pay for the whole pizza, customers began to ask for a slice. Typically, New York-style pizza now is a large, thin crust cut into wide slices, usually folded to be eaten. Toppings are often simple, with cheese and tomato sauce still one of the most popular.

Did you know?

It was once believed that the specific minerals found in the city’s tap water were what gave New York pizza bases their characteristic flavour and texture. Some pizza restaurant owners even transported New York water across the country to achieve these, but this theory has since been debunked.

Take the Greenwich Village Food and Culture Walking Tour

This tour will help your students understand what makes Greenwich Village so unique in the rich New York foodie scene! Generally considered to be one of the most charming neighbourhoods in New York City, Greenwich Village has a fascinating history, from its Italian immigrant legacy to its status as a bohemian enclave. Here you’ll certainly taste some incredible Italian food, but you’ll also have the chance to see innovative dishes and produce of the finest quality.

Did you know?

There’s some real foodie history in Greenwich Village, from the first cappuccino served in the United States at Café Reggio, to Mamoun’s Falafel, the first falafel restaurant in New York.

Visit Union Square Market

This market offers small, family farmers the opportunity to sell their fresh produce to New Yorkers! The Greenmarket programme was established in 1976, to provide regional small family farmers the opportunity to sell their produce in the city. The Union Square Greenmarket is know by far the best known and is held on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year. With the average distance between the farms where the produce is grown and the market around 90 miles, the market allows New Yorkers to get hold of incredibly fresh, seasonal produce.

Did you know?

It’s estimated that more than one thousand varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables can be found at the Union Square Greenmarket!

Educational Activities

Central Greenwich Village & SoHo Food and Culture Walking Tour

Take a trip back in time on a journey through the central part of Greenwich Village, and then into the old Italian section of SoHo.

Chelsea Market & Meatpacking District Food Walking Tour

Explore two old industrial areas that have evolved into the hottest new destinations in New York City.

Greenwich Village Food and Culture Walking Tour

Explore the winding tree-lined streets of the historic West Village.

Hersheys Times Square

Make your day in New York City extra sweet with a visit to Hershey’s Times Square store for a one-of-a-kind,

Pizza Tour

The best way to enjoy New York is by walking its streets, but the only way to taste New York

Union Square Greenmarket

The City's first, largest and most famous Greenmarket takes place year-roundevery Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturdayand is organized byGrowNYC, a

Cultural Activities

Empire State Building

Reaching more than a quarter of a mile into the Manhattan sky, the Empire State Building was the world's tallest

Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry exists predominantly for the purpose of getting commuters to and from Manhattan, but outside rush hour

Statue of Liberty

No trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty; the city’s iconic symbol.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.