ROCHESTER — The ProStart Invitational, a culinary competition hosted by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, is the most important event on the yearly calendar for selected Old Colony Regional Vocational High School culinary students.

“We look forward to this competition all year,” said Old Colony bakery instructor Samantha Clarke. “We start thinking about next year’s competition the day after the event.”

Students are selected by instructors to partake in one of three competitions — the management, the culinary and the cake decorating competitions.

The management and culinary events feature five-person teams from participating schools while the cake decoration competition is every chef for themselves.

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, 12 Old Colony culinary students made the trip to Gillette Stadium to compete in the 2024 ProStart Invitational, and they didn’t leave empty-handed.

Old Colony’s management team took home the first-place trophy for the third consecutive year and will now move on to the national competition in Baltimore in April.

The management team of Caitlin Quail, Thomas Fulton, Haley Kittredge, Anthony Rampino and Leah Hollenbeck was tasked with creating a concept of a restaurant, including a floor plan, interior designs, a menu, marketing tactics and more.

“It was nerve-racking at first,” said Kittredge. “But knowing that we made it to nationals last year helped relieve those nerves.”

Kittredge said that her team’s restaurant concept was inspired by Rampino’s grandmother.

Old Colony senior Bea Ashley won the cake decorating portion of the event, beating out 22 competitors.

Ashley said that her design included references to the popular French dish called ratatouille and a popular animated movie of the same name.

A Mattapoisett resident, Ashley spent the last two years on the management team.

“It took the same amount of preparation but it was weird not having a team with me,” said Ashley. “I got into the moment, focused and did my thing.”

Ashley plans on attending the Culinary Institute of America.

“It is always a great feeling when you accomplish something,” she said.
The Old Colony culinary staff was thrilled to see students perform in a high pressure environment and succeed, but their main goal is to prepare students for life after graduation.

“We really have high expectations and we push them out of their comfort zone,” said Clarke. “We want them to be employable, professional and have great work ethic no matter what industry they go into.”

Old Colony culinary instructor Leigh Howlett was awarded 2024 ProStart Educator of Excellence and will now represent the state at the national competition.

Howlett said that being able to pass down what she learned in her career is what she loves most about teaching.

At the national competition, Howlett said she will look into ways to make culinary programs available for more high school students across the country.

“It is a lot of work but what kids get from it is vital… vital for the industry and vital for the kids,” said Howlett.

“The kids in this area are a different breed — they are very respectful,” said Howlett. They are in the mindset of really wanting to learn their trade and I absolutely adore giving them as much information as I can.”

The culinary team of Geneva Gerrior, Madison Cole, Julia Raposo, Jordan Mederios and Emily Silvia finished in second place out of the nine teams that competed, but Gerrior won ‘best knife cuts’ and Cole won best dessert for her toasted coconut semifreddo.

The team prepared a three-course meal featuring banana leaf steamed flounder, braised oxtail over Caribbean rice and Cole’s award-winning semifreddo.

Old Colony culinary students put their talent and hard work on display to the public every week. The Cougar’s Den, a restaurant located at the school featuring food made by culinary students, is open to the public for breakfast and lunch from Tuesday to Friday.