Statewide Culinary Event to Showcase Oregon’s Future Workforce

ORLA’s ProStart® H.S. Competition Challenges Students Training for the Hospitality Industry

February 10, 2012 - Wilsonville, OR

ProStart students representing 23 high schools from around the state will compete at the Oregon ProStart High School Culinary Championships on February 18, 2012. The first place team earns a trip to the 11th Annual National ProStart Student Invitational® in Baltimore this spring and takes home the coveted Boyds Coffee® Culinary Cup. The event – which is free to the public – will be held in Hall E of the Portland Expo Center.

“The ProStart program provides students with practical skills to prepare them for a restaurant career,” says Steve McCoid, president and CEO of Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA). “This event is the culmination of their hard work and commitment throughout the year in building their culinary and leadership skills.”

The competition challenges student teams of four to create a three-course meal in one hour, using only two butane burners. Each team creates their own menu and is judged by a panel of chefs on their successful completion of six stations including safety and sanitation, knife skills, teamwork, menu presentation, meal taste and poultry fabrication.

Top teams in the overall competition earn scholarships from various post-secondary schools. This event also recognizes the ProStart Teacher of the Year, Mentor of the Year, and Student of the Year. Several industry partners have stepped up as major sponsors for the program including: Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts as the Oregon ProStart Program Presenting Sponsor, Boyd Coffee Company as the Championships Presenting Sponsor, Bon Appétit Management Company as the State Champions Sponsor, and Oregon Culinary Institute as the Continuing Education Sponsor.

ProStart is a two-year, culinary arts and restaurant management education program for high school students. Administered by ORLA, this industry-driven program brings the industry and classroom together, offering real-world opportunities through internships with chef mentors.

The culinary event is open to the public from 8-4:00 p.m. For media passes and onsite interview opportunities with John Hamilton, vice president of marketing and communications, please contact directly at JHamilton@OregonRLA.org or 503.805.9287. For more information on how to participate as an attendee or sponsor of this program, contact Jami Scott, Oregon ProStart coordinator, at 503.682.4422 or visit ORLA’s website.