Student chefs tantalize taste buds at culinary contest
March 21, 2018
Budding chefs from Pelion and White Knoll high schools dished up magazine-worthy eats this winter, winning them second place and a special memory to honor their fearless leader.
Students in PHS’s Culinary Arts program, under the direction of Chef Rhonda K. Woods, competed in the 2018 South Carolina ProStart Invitational culinary competition, held February 25–27. Fifteen culinary teams competed for prizes and scholarships to culinary programs.
Members of the second-place team included PHS’s Savannah D. Farrell and WKHS’s D’jour S. Richardson, Milan X. Simmons, Chrysta M. Stevenson and Elizabeth M. Weston.
Students dedicated this competition in memory of Chef Woods’ husband, lovingly known to the students as “Mr. Chef,” who passed away on January 4, 2018. With only eight practice days as a team due to his illness and death, students gave the program its best finish, winning each team member $13,000 in scholarships to various culinary institutions.
Preparing a three-course menu of their own design, students presented two identical plates for each course, one for judge tasting and the other for display. They had only 60 minutes to prepare the meal on two 8-foot tables, with two butane burners and no running water, electricity or battery-operated equipment.
PHS’s Culinary Arts program has entered a team in the South Carolina ProStart Invitational for seven years. Previously, the team finished 12th, 10th, 8th and 5th.
