Students who want to pursue a career as a chef must be able to work in a high-paced environment with dozens of ingredients and lead a full staff of culinary professionals. In an effort to better prepare individuals enrolled in these degree programs for successful work in this field, some organizations have launched cooking competitions.
For instance, at the annual American Culinary Federation (ACF) national convention, Daniel Gorman, a 2007 culinary technology graduate from Asheville-Buncombe (A-B) Technical Community College, was named this year's National Student Chef of the Year. Eligible participants included individuals aged 22 or younger who were a member of the Junior ACF for at least three years.
Over the course of two hours and 10 minutes, participants were challenged to prepare, cook and present a two-course meal or dessert. Competitors also had to use certain ingredients, including chicken, shrimp, trout, clams, potatoes and leeks.
Charles de Vries, professor of hospitality education at the school, stated that "Daniel has worked very hard for the past four years, competing on two A-B Tech student teams and winning regional competitions." He added that "we are so proud of him."
