CUSTOMERS of an upper dale cafe are tucking into top-notch continental confectionary while helping a German student brush up her English skills.
Delicious apfel streusel-kuchen, blueberry cupcakes and chocolate torte are now on the menu at The Tees’pot cafe, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, thanks to the culinary skills of Sophie Lang, a student from the University of Regensburg, in Bavaria, who is on a three-week work experience trip.
Cafe owner Michelle Longman said the opportunity came about when a friend in Germany asked if she would be happy to take on the English and sports student so that she could improve her language skills while interacting with customers.
The friend sent photographs of a chocolate torte baked by Ms Lang as proof of her abilities. Ms Longman said: “Within two minutes I emailed her back and said ‘definitely’.”
Upon arrival one of the first recipes to be baked by Ms Lang was a four-tiered himbeer torte, which was soon sold out. Another hot seller has been her apfel streuselkuchen, a type of apple crumble, and the student baked four in her first week at the cafe. The 20-year-old said she developed an interest in baking aged 14 and is entirely self-taught.
She added: “I love cooking as well. We have a big family so there is a lot of cooking to do.”
Working at The Tees’pot, Ms Longman said has exposed the student to a wide variety of English accents and dialects which is helping her hone her language skills.
Ms Lang, who has previously visited London, Australia, Hong Kong, India and New Zealand, said: “The people are very nice here – much nicer than London. Everyone is friendly and everyone talks to you.
“It is really nice here [in Middleton]. I don’t like the big city. I live in a small village myself.”
The fitness enthusiast has also taken advantage of the dale countryside and within a week had already run from her base in Mickleton to the top of Kirk Carrion, as well as the top end of Holwick. After completing her studies Ms Lang hopes to be an English and sports teacher, or later open her own cafe or yoga school.
People have only until the end of this week to enjoy the student’s cuisine before she heads back home to Germany.
