The IONA Cafe is the newest addition to the SCAS campus. It encompasses a plethora of delicious beverages and food products that tantalise the taste buds. The café is not only open to staff and senior students of St Columba, but also the general public of the Hastings region.
It was a delight to be a part of the opening of such a unique café. As graduate hospitality students, we marvel at how such a space, at a school, can prepare gourmet food morsels, whether it be a pumpkin, feta and quinoa salad, cajun spiced chicken burger with salad, caramel hedgehog slice or locally sourced and produced ‘PEAK’ coffee, just to name a few.
The IONA Cafe has created the framework for senior students to have a ‘time out’, an effective study location and a reflective area that can be used for mentor meetings or a catch up with friends. It also provides staff the convenience of not having to travel to get a coffee and promotes the integration of faculties within the teaching environment.
The cafe opens before school, allowing us to have a nutritious breakfast if running late, or enabling parents to purchase their morning coffee after dropping their child at school. It also stays open during the afternoon, catering for students and teachers who have stayed behind or after school sporting activities like basketball.
We truly are lucky to have such a unique and innovative area that provides quality food and drinks, and personal customer service at school.
Anna Morrison and Laura Ausling
Student Media Team