Students sharpen their skills at culinary boot camp to prepare for statewide competition

High school students are cooking their way straight into the culinary industry.

In preparation for a statewide competition in March, chicken and vegetables, salad, and cheesecake were on the menu during Michigan ProStart's Mise en Place Bootcamp on Jan. 13 — prepared in one hour by juniors and seniors from eight high schools across the state.

Creating future culinarians

ProStart is a nationwide two-year career and technical education program that turns high school students into food service industry leaders, according to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. The competition will give students throughout Michigan a chance to win educational scholarships, compete in front of major culinary employers, and go to nationals in Washington, D.C.

During the boot camp, students worked alongside industry professionals to sharpen their knife-cutting, cooking, business management, menu development, and marketing skills.

Through networking at ProStart, high school senior Natalie Hawkins, 17, catered an event with professional chefs in October 2022. She plans on focusing on baking and catering after graduation.

"I really do like the catering part of it," Hawkins said. "So far, I've worked at a wedding because of (ProStart) and it was pretty cool. ... We served different steaks, potatoes, noodles, and desserts."

Certified Executive Chef Jake Williams was volunteering at the event, teaching the students about nutrition. He has been teaching culinary skills for over 10 years.

"The labor market right now is in big need of new culinarians," Williams said. "There's plenty of opportunity at entry level and even beyond that for anyone that's even graduating from high school with culinary skills or going into a secondary college."

Williams helped a student who recently turned 18 secure a job at a restaurant. Passing along his knowledge and connections is important to him, Williams said.

"Education is very important and I feel like I'm able to give back to my community and future culinarians. Culinary is a trade ... so we're in the same category as an electrician or a plumber. Passing on that real-world knowledge within the trade is key."

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Making delicious yet nutritious meals

ProStart students can also participate in the National Restaurant Association's Kids Live Well program; they create nutritious meals based on the MI Plate and USDA guidelines to be added to kids' menus at restaurants.

"Creating healthy meals that are also delicious is going to be a large growing sector within the culinary world," Williams said. "We see that more and more as trends on menus."

Covering all areas

"What we've put together is a simulation of what we would go through at competition," said Amanda Smith, executive vice president of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association. Most of the students participating are considering pursuing careers in the hospitality and restaurant industries.

The boot camp also included an hourlong management activity where students created a "full-fledged restaurant plan," developed it in detail, and formally presented it to industry judges as if they were going to invest in their restaurant," Smith said. Students were also tested on their ServSafe and tabletop knowledge, each session taking 30 minutes.

Teamwork makes the dream work

Students worked in groups of four and teamwork was highlighted during every activity. Chefs provided students with helpful tips throughout the day.

"Everything we do is team-based; a kitchen never operates alone," Smith said. "The front of the house doesn't operate without the back of the house, everything inside our industry is run as a team. Collaboration and communication is critical. They have sharp knives, they have open flames, they have to communicate safety first."

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Celeste Riggs, 16, attends the Tuscola Technology Center in Caro. Riggs said they learned how to work in a team while under pressure during the cooking portion of the competition.

"I made a whipped cream and a raspberry and blackberry sauce to go with the cheesecake and we decorated it with blueberry and lemon," Riggs said. "I also made the sauce for the chicken while my teammate Daniel made the potatoes, bell peppers, and broccolini; Rose made the salad and Kenny made the chicken. We all plated it."

Christopher Carter, 17, is a senior at Fraser High School. His favorite thing to cook for him and his mother is chicken alfredo. Cooking is a fun hobby of his, he said, but he's nervous about the competition in March.

"I haven't done any competition like this before," Carter said. "We have to manage table setups, plating dishes, cooking, and other stuff, so today gave me a good idea of what to expect."

During the cooking challenge, Carter was in charge of chopping up the vegetables and steaming them.

ProStart opportunities

ProStart curriculum is used in 70 Michigan high schools and career centers.

"Over the past 23 years, more than 1 million students have participated in ProStart," according to the foundation. Completing a ProStart Certificate of Achievement can help students find a job to assist in paying for college; they also become "eligible for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation scholarship opportunities and course credits at some of the country's leading hospitality and culinary arts colleges and universities."

Contact Nour Rahal: nrahal@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high schoolers prep for cooking contest at boot camp