Culinary creativity sizzled as middle and elementary school students at two districts in Texas put on their chefs’ hats and sharpened their cooking skills to show off their best dishes in an annual recipe competition.
“The recipe contests are a fun way to engage students who are interested in culinary science,” said Jill Gouge-Laird, Marketing Director – South Region, Aramark Student Nutrition. “The students learn about food ingredients, cooking techniques, and developing recipes while also learning that healthy eating is an essential step to a healthier life.”
The contests at Texas’ Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District (CISD), east of Houston, and Pflugerville Independent School District (ISD), northeast of Austin, have become so popular over the years that Aramark Student Nutrition created a formal program and process inspired by them.
The Aramark Junior Culinary Star program makes it easier for Aramark chefs and foodservice directors at other client school accounts across the US join in on the fun and implement their own student recipe contests. Find out more about this year’s contests below.
Fresh and Healthy at Goose Creek
Fourth and fifth grade students across Goose Creek CISD wrapped this year’s recipe contest when winners presented their dishes at the school board meeting Monday, February 5.
In all, 15 students submitted winning recipes that included Texas farm fresh produce. One winner was selected from every campus that had an entry by Chef Franchesca Bland and other members of the Aramark Student Nutrition management team onsite.
Winners and their parents were notified—and principals at each school recognized the student chefs during morning announcements.
Each winner also received a customized chef jacket, had a photo taken with Chef Franchesca, and got to take home their very own aeroponic garden to grow their own vegetables and herbs. All photos and recipe were included in this year’s Franchesca’s Friends recipe book to commemorate the event. (Photo at top: 4th grader Honey Jimenez with Chef Franchesca.)
“This contest reinforces the message that food can be good and healthy,” said Roshelle Stevenson, Assistant Food Service Director at Goose Creek CISD, Aramark Student Nutrition. “Goose Creek's mission statement is, ‘Developing the Whole Child.’ This contest allows us to tap into that mission by taking what they eat in the cafeteria a step further by challenging them to put into action what they hear at school.”
Firing Up the Future Chefs of Pflugerville
Forty-two middle and elementary students submitted recipes and photos this year in Pflugerville ISD’s Chef Stephanie’s Junior Chef Contest, named after Aramark Student Nutrition Chef Stephanie Goodson.
“We started this recipe contest 10 years ago,” said William Holle, Resident District Manager at Pflugerville ISD, Aramark Student Nutrition. “It’s a way to show that we are more than just food service providers; it shows our engagement in the community and encourages culinary innovation and young chefs. It also ties into our partnership with the district’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) Culinary Arts program.”
In fact, the first winner in Chef Stephanie’s Junior Chef Contest, Caroline Coleman, went on to compete and win on the TV culinary competition, “Chopped Junior.”
“Pflugerville and Aramark’s Junior Chef contest is an incredible springboard for future chefs in Pflugerville,” said Coleman.
Coleman went on to attend classes at the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, NY, for which Holle wrote her a letter of recommendation.
Chef Stephanie and the Aramark Student Nutrition team selected one winner from each of the 12 schools that participated and then narrowed the field down to four finalists. In late February, the four dishes will be judged by district, city, and community members. Junior Chefs’ names will be announced, and their recipes will be compiled into a cookbook.
The grand prize winner will be celebrated at the school district’s spring school board meeting and their dish will be featured at the dinner that night.
“The Junior Chef competition has become a much-anticipated event in Pflugerville each year,” said Pflugerville ISD board member Vernagene Mott. “It is always exciting to seek out talented young chefs and their creations.”
