Cape High culinary students shine in state contest
Cape High culinary students competed in the ninth annual Delaware Student ProStart Invitational at the Chase Center in Wilmington March 17.
ProStart is a nationwide, two-year culinary and management curriculum for high school students interested in the restaurant and food service industry. Through the program, students earn certifications and 400 hours of paid work experience in local restaurants.
The Delaware Restaurant Association Educational Foundation hosted the statewide competition, in which teams compete for state honors, the chance to represent Delaware at the national invitational, and scholarships.
“They did not place in the top three; however, the teams were young and got some awesome feedback on execution of dishes on each team,” said Cape High culinary arts and hospitality management teacher Kimberly Bailey-Thomas.
Students worked together in teams to create an appetizer, entrée and dessert in a 60-minute timed competition. Students could not use electricity or running water and had to rely on two butane burners to cook their dishes.
Just like in an actual restaurant, the young chefs encountered problems they had to work around, such as burned sauce and burners that needed to be replaced.
Some students said they thrived on the stress and pressure of the competition, and all students said the best part was the satisfaction of completing the menu items. Students said they encourage their classmates to get involved and participate in cooking events, which they said was not as scary as it seemed.
Several students also volunteered to work with two local Sussex County chefs on a Delaware Restaurant Association Educational Foundation fundraising dinner in Wilmington April 6, which Bailey-Thomas said was a great learning experience.
