ROCHESTER — In its second year of competing, Old Colony Regional Vocational High School placed first in the culinary competition at the The Massachusetts Restaurant Association ProStart Invitational on March 10. It will represent Massachusetts at the 2020 National ProStart Student Invitational in Washington D.C. in May. 

At the all-day event at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the five students in the culinary competition had 60 minutes to prepare an appetizer, entree and dessert using only two induction stovetop burners for four chefs. 

Student participants included Justin MacKay, Victoria Hannon, Lauryn Macomber, Meghan Spangler and Emily Larkin.

Hannon, a senior who was on the culinary team last year, said that when judges announced their victory, the team shot up from where they were sitting on the ground, and that a “weight lifted off our shoulders.”

The judges, who included well-known chefs and former Patriots player Jarvis Green, said that the culinary team was polished and communicative.

There were two categories in the competition: culinary and management.

Both teams started preparing for the competition in December with weekly practices. The culinary team constantly refined their menu of fresh seared scallops from New Bedford, brined fresh pork chops from Rochester and chocolate cake with strawberry mousse, timing the preparation of each dish.

In their first year of competing, the restaurant management team placed third for their planned eatery, “Rustic Pallet.” 

The concept was a farm-to-table restaurant with a focus on sustainability to attract college students and adults in their 30s.

Senior Devan Galas was on the team and said he was personally happy with how the team did and that he is “excited to see what the program will produce” in the future. 

Each management team was given a fictional town and chose where to create a restaurant. The team then presented their concept at the competition and answered critical thinking questions from judges.

For culinary arts instructor Samantha Clarke, the teams’ performances were amazing and she said that it feels great that the culinary team won in their second year and that the management team placed third with no experience of how the competition worked. 

When judges made the announcement for the culinary team, Clarke said “the whole place erupted,” and that there were tears, jumping and dancing amongst the group.

For Clarke, the culinary team win is special because she was scheduled to go to the national invitational to represent the state after she won the Educator of the Year award from the Massachusetts Restaurants Association.

Now, she will be able to travel there with her students. 

Old Colony’s culinary team will compete at the 2020 National ProStart Student Invitational in Washington D.C. from May 8 to 10, barring cancellation due to coronavirus.