ORLAEF’s ProStart Invitational

ORLAEF'S PROSTART INVITATIONAL
SPONSORED BY SYSCO

March 2, 2020 | Salem Convention Center

Willamette H.S. 1st Place Culinary

South Salem H.S. 1st Place Management

[March 18, 2019 - Salem] Nine Schools Competed in ORLA Education Foundation’s Statewide Competition Showcasing the Hospitality Industry’s Future Chefs

The challenge for the student chefs was to prepare a three-course gourmet meal with only two butane burners in under an hour. Willamette High School pulled this off with excellence, winning top honors in the culinary competition at the ORLAEF ProStart Invitational, sponsored by Sysco Portland on March 18, 2019 in Salem. The team from South Salem High School took first in the management team competition and swept up two category awards for concept and professional presentation. Both first place teams competed in the 2019 National ProStart Invitational® May 8-10, 2019, in Washington, D.C. and did well despite not in the top placements.

> See ORLAEF's Flickr page for photos

Final results for the 2019 culinary competition:

First Place: Willamette High School
Second Place: McNary High School
Third Place: North Salem High School
Fourth Place: Seaside High School
Fifth Place: McMinnville High School

Final results for the 2019 management competition:

First Place: South Salem High School
Second Place: Century High School
Third Place: Willamette High School

“It is with great pleasure Sysco Portland is once again the leading sponsor of the ORLAEF ProStart program,” said Bobbie McDonald, Vice President of Merchandising & Marketing at Sysco Portland. “These young culinarians from our state are building skills that are foundational to their careers in the hospitality industry. This year we are extremely excited to announce the additional support of honoring two students with a scholarship to help guide them on their culinary journey.”

The top three teams in each competition receive awards and scholarships to further their careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. Total scholarship prizes offered for both culinary and management team winners placing 1st-3rd exceeds $547,500! Every student on first place teams earns scholarships at each of six schools with a total value of $23,000.

In addition to competition placements, ProStart and Category awards were also presented at the ceremony.

ProStart awards:

Oregon ProStart Student of the Year – Shane Wilder, Willamette High School
Oregon ProStart Mentor of the Year – Irina Bakun, McNary High School
Oregon ProStart Teacher of the Year – Chef Laura Hofer, South Salem High School

Category awards:

Management Category, Concept - South Salem High School
Management Category, Professional Presentation - South Salem High School
Culinary Category, Teamwork - North Salem High School
Culinary Category, Sanitation - North Salem High School

Every spring students put their skills to the ultimate test at the ORLAEF’s ProStart® Invitational, the capstone event for the career and technical education (CTE) foodservice training program, ProStart. The event is hosted by the Education Foundation of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLAEF).

About the Event
High school ProStart teams from across Oregon gather to compete in two distinct events: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition.

Management Competition - Teams develop a concept for a new restaurant and present it to judges from industry and post-secondary education. Students are evaluated on their concept, marketing strategies, menu, recipes and food costs, operations and critical thinking skills.
Culinary Competition - Teams develop a unique menu for a three-course meal, complete with recipes and food costs, and prepare that meal in 60 minutes using two butane burners—with no electricity or running water. They are evaluated on their menu, degree of difficulty, food safety and sanitation, knife skills, cooking procedures, food costing, teamwork, taste and presentation of their meal.

2019 RESOURCES

Or ProStart News

Past Event Photos

Thank you to our 2019 sponsors: