First Annual GaDOE Student Chef Competition

City, State: On April 26, 2017, the Georgia Department of Education, School Nutrition Program held the first annual Student Chef Competition in Macon at the W.S. Hutchings College and Career Academy. Six teams from all over Georgia competed for the top spots in two recipe categories; Chicken Entrée and Vegetable Salad. The six teams that reached the finals were from the following counties: Fannin, Columbia, Pickens and Youth Villages from Douglas County. Teams that reached the final competition were judged on overall appeal, appearance and execution, taste, presentation and sanitation and food safety. Ellen Steinberg, GaDOE Food Safety Specialist, observed the teams as they prepared recipes to determine if they were following key food safety guidelines and requirements. Chef Stuart Hardy, Executive Chef at W.S. Hutchings, assisted teams in the kitchen as they prepared their entries for judging. Laura Tanase, Farm to School Specialist, said “Reaching the finals in this competition was difficult. These teams had to meet the current nutrient standards for school meals for fat, calories and sodium.”

The teams placed as follows:

 Vegetable Salad

1 st Place – Columbia County – Vegetable Penne

2 nd Place – Fannin County – Pretty n’ Peaches Salad

 Chicken Entrée

1 st Place – Columbia County – Chicken Fajitas

2 nd Place – Pickens County – Warm Ranch Chicken Wrap

3 rd Place – Youth Village – Curry Chicken

4 th Place – Fannin County – Sizzling Stir Fry

The 2nd Annual Student Chef Competition will be held at an earlier date so that the winning team will have the opportunity to compete in a USDA Southeast Regional Jr. Chef Competition in Kentucky in 2018.

 

                  

Jessica DeCosta created the salad and Tiffany Abt and Kate Weaver created the stir fry.