On March 17, high school students from Salem Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) earned first place in the Oregon ProStart Culinary Invitational Championship for their new restaurant concept, earning them a spot to represent Oregon at the national championship.
On the Oregon ProStart Championship, the Oregon Hospitality Foundation states, “This event is their capstone project, and it is as exciting to watch as any sports tournament.†(https://www.oregonrla.org/championships.html)
The Oregon ProStart Championship consisted of ProStart students from all over the state, as well as 7 different highschools. Participants gathered at the Salem Convention Center for the competition.
“The atmosphere at this event was electric,” said Courtney Smith, ProStart Manager for the Oregon Hospitality Foundation. “Our ProStart instructors do an extraordinary job preparing high school students with the fundamental skills like communication, teamwork, time management, and professionalism needed to enter the workforce. And we were able to see all of this in action at the competition.” (https://www.oregonrla.org/blog/category/press-release)
First-place winners of the Oregon ProStart Championship, including Salem-Keizer CTEC Students, are going on to represent Oregon at the national ProStart Culinary Championship in Baltimore, Maryland, scheduled for May 2-4, alongside Crook County High School students for their own respective win in the championship. This is the second year in a row that Salem-Keizer CTEC students placed first in the Oregon ProStart Culinary Invitational.
The first part of the Oregon ProStart Championship is culinary, where students compete by cooking a three-course meal using only two burners. Students are then judged by a panel of hospitality professionals on their performance. The second part of the championship is management, where students are instructed to design a restaurant model, and then judged on a variety of aspects including restaurant menu design and marketing.
Salem-Keizer CTEC took first place in the championship for its restaurant concept, “an enchanting dining experience that transports guests to a whimsical forest, where nature, magic, and gastronomy intertwine.” (https://www.oregonrla.org/blog/category/press-release). Salem students designed their restaurant to incorporate farm-to-table dishes, with a nature-focused atmosphere.
Kara A., one of the event’s judges, praised the students’ impressive management presentations. In a post on her LinkedIn account, she commented, “It was so inspiring to see the students work so hard to get to where they are today.”
Salem-Keizer CTEC took second-place in the championship for the culinary section. Their dishes consisted of a starter of zesty lemon rockfish over apple frittella, smothered with a black olive spread and fresh fennel fronds. The main dish was mozzarella-stuffed chicken over pasta, with spinach, basil, oregano, and cherry tomatoes. Finally, the CTEC team concluded their performance with a dessert of spiced pears over almond-chocolate mascarpone panna cotta, topped with sprigs of mint and fresh blackberries.
“As the culminating event of the ProStart career and technical education program, the championships represent the culmination of months of hard work and determination,” said Jason Brandt, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association.
He continued: “It’s incredibly inspiring to see these kids’ passion and know that we’re contributing to a meaningful movement by recognizing career paths in the hospitality industry.” (https://www.oregonrla.org/blog/crook-county-hs-and-salem-keizer-ctec-teams-place-first-at-statewide-championships)
https://www.oregonrla.org/championships.html
