Virginia College in Chattanooga announced that it will host the SkillsUSA State Culinary Competition on April 10 and 11, where high school culinary students from across Tennessee will have the opportunity to showcase their skills during Culinary and Pastry competitions.
The Culinary Arts competition will take place on April 10 from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Culinard, the Culinary Institute at the Virginia College campus located at 721 Eastgate Loop. The Commercial Baking competition will take place on April 11 from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m.
“We are delighted to host the SkillsUSA State Culinary Competition for the fourth consecutive year as more than 40 of the state’s young culinarians test their culinary skills and competencies for professional development and growth,” said Jim Gallivan, Culinard program director at Virginia College in Chattanooga. “With the assistance of educators, both in the schools and on the job, these students are receiving practical experience in the food service industry and ultimately kick starting their careers.”
Students will be evaluated by a panel of judges during each portion of the competition, and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony following the competition. The winners of the Culinary and Commercial Baking categories will represent the State of Tennessee at the SkillsUSA Nationals in Louisville, Ky., and will also receive a scholarship to Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College.
There will be 21 students from 21 schools competing in the Culinary category and 20 students from 20 schools competing in the Commercial Baking category. The participating schools are: Lincoln County High School, Smyrna High School, Wilson Central High School, Johnson County Career & Technical Education, Bradley Central High School, Dobyns-Bennett High School, Kingsbury Career Technology Center, Ooltewah High School, Cleveland High School, Gallatin High School, Southwest Career & Technology Center, Sullivan South High School, Liberty Technology Magnet High School, Cherokee High School, Gibson County Vocational, Cookeville High School, Blackman High School, Lebanon High School, Austin-East High School, Stewarts Creek High School, Riverdale High School, Hamilton High School, Sullivan Central High School and the Unicoi County High School CTE Department.
Competitors in the Culinary category will be required to complete the following tasks in less than seven hours: Compose a salad with an emulsified dressing, make a sauce and a soup, sauté a chicken, showcase knife skills with classic cuts by using green vegetables and carrots, and a create an entrée using the chicken, a starch and a vegetable to complete the plate. Students participating in the Commercial Baking category will bake items selected by the Commercial Baking Technical Committee from the following categories: quick breads, cookies, basic cake decorating, pastries and pies as well as pie crust pastries. After completing these tasks, students will then take a baking skills written test, which will consist of information related to the products, cooking techniques, sanitation and tasks performed in the competition.
SkillsUSA hosts similar competitions nationwide across a wide range of industries. From technical occupations to service occupations, SkillsUSA works with students, teachers and industry to advance the skills and future careers of America’s burgeoning workforce.