Invitationals
ProStart students are given the opportunity to put their skills to the ultimate test by participating in the NH ProStart State Invitational, which is held annually in the spring. During this intense culinary competition, participating teams demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners, and all without access to running water or electricity. There is no room for error as the teams are evaluated on taste, skill, teamwork, safety and sanitation! During the Restaurant Management competition, students will design their own restaurant in ProStartville and present to a group of judges on their concept, menu and costing, marketing, critical thinking, and operations. At both the state and national level, students compete to win various scholarships, with the winning team moving forward to represent New Hampshire at the National ProStart Invitational.
New Hampshire ProStart State Invitational
May 11, 2021 |Grappone Conference Center, Concord, NH
National ProStart Invitational
Cancelled due to COVID-19
1st Place Culinary- Mount Washington Valley Career Technical Center
2nd Place Culinary- Pinkerton Academy
3rd Place Culinary- White Mountains Regioanl High School
Manchester School of Technology
MIlford High School
Portsmouth High School
Richard W. Creteau Technology Center
1st Place Management- Pinkerton Academy
2nd Place Management- Mount Washington Valley Career Technical Center
ProStart Alumni
New Hampshire ProStart Teacher of the Year- Vicki Garay (far right)
On Tuesday, March 10th, seven culinary teams and two management teams competed at the New Hampshire ProStart State Invitational. Hosted by the Holiday Inn Concord Downtown, teams were represented from Manchester School of Technology, Milford High School & Applied Technology Center, Mount Washington Valley Career & Technical Center (culinary and management), Pinkerton Academy (culinary and management), Portsmouth High School, Richard W. Creteau Technology Center, and White Mountains Regional High School.
Culinary
1st– Mount Washington Valley Career & Technical Center (MWVCTC)
2nd– Pinkerton Academy
3rd– White Mountains Regional High School
Kaylee, Jaime, Riley, Tristan and Sierra from MWVCTC created a menu featuring an appetizer of crispy calamari and lemon served with harissa aioli and chermoula oil; an entrée of moroccan rubbed rack of lamb with pomegranate reduction, lemon-cilantro vinaigrette tossed with rainbow fingerlings, and sautéed vegetable hash; and a dessert of vanilla bean panna cotta served with grapefruit and brown sugar caramel and topped with spiced pistachios. They executed this high level menu in 60 minutes using only two butane burners, no running water, and no electricity. We are very fortunate to have executive level and ACF certified chefs. All of which said the caliber of the menus and the execution by our ProStart students was outstanding.
Management
1st– Pinkerton Academy
2nd– Mount Washington Valley Career & Technical Center
John, Lily, Angelina, and Matthew from Pinkerton Academy designed Wild Bamboo an Asian restaurant devoted to the environment and sustainability. Their menu featured a dumpling soup, bibimap (a Korean rice dish topped with beef sautéed vegetables and a fried egg), duck (statler duck breast seared with the skin on, paired with bamboo rice and a tat soi-mushroom sauce, beef (sliced flank steak sautéed with onions, served with a side of fresh vegetable), and a steam cake. The judges were highly impressed by their QR coupon code and the website they designed from scratch. We are blessed to have judges from all facets of the industry and many of them were ready to hire our very talented students on the spot based on their ideas, creativity, and presentation skills.
Competing students will receive a variety of scholarships from Great Bay Community College, Lakes Region Community College, NHTI, and White Mountains Community College as well Johnson & Wales University and the Culinary Institute of America.
Our first place winners are invited to compete at the National ProStart Invitational in Washington D.C. in May which was unfortunately canceled due to COVID-19.
Explore NH Careers
New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association
16 Centre Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: (603) 228-9585
info@nhlra.com
