Louisiana ProStart students compete for nearly $1.2M in scholarships

Louisiana Seafood on board as title sponsor

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) will host its 14th Annual Louisiana Seafood ProStart® Student Invitational, March 3-4, 2015 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Hall J. Nearly $1.2 million in scholarship opportunities will be awarded to students whose teams place in the top three in both the culinary and management competitions. The funds were donated from 10 of the leading post-secondary culinary and hospitality programs in the country, including: Culinary Institute of America, Louisiana Culinary Institute and John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, among others. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board is the invitational’s title sponsor for the third consecutive year.

ProStart students compete in teams of
four and prepare a three-course gourmet
meal featuring Louisiana Seafood in
just one hour. 

“Nearly $1.2 million in scholarship awards available at a ProStart Invitational in a state of our size is impressive,” said LRA President & CEO Stan Harris. “It adds so much stature to our event and to our industry and illustrates that the schools providing these scholarships value the ProStart program.”

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year program for high school students that develops the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s industry leaders. By bringing industry and the classroom together, ProStart gives students a platform to discover new interests and talents and opens doors for fulfilling careers. Students are required to complete a 400-hour work internship, thus providing hands-on training. Many of LRA members serve as mentors to ProStart students and also hire them.

The invitational showcases the culinary and academic talents of high school junior and senior ProStart students from 21 schools across Louisiana. The invitational features two primary components: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition.

During the Culinary Competition, Tuesday, March 3 from 10:45 a.m. – 5 p.m., teams will demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course, gourmet meal. All teams’ menus must feature at least one type of Louisiana seafood. Twenty-four judges from the foodservice industry and post-secondary educational institutions will observe and rate their performance during the competition. Judges volunteering their time and expertise include Chef Haley Bittermann of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, Chef Brian Landry of Borgne and Chef Kelly Fields of Restaurant August.

Chef Brian Landry of Borgne Restaurant
gives ProStart teams immediate feedback
as a Culinary Competition judge. 

Teams participating in the Management Competition, Wednesday, March 4 from 8:25 a.m. – 2:05 p.m., will demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant concept, including the menu, design, budget and marketing strategies which they present to a panel of judges as an entrepreneur who pitch to a group of investors. Judges include Dr. Yvette  Green of the Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism at UNO, Octavio Mantilla of the John Besh Restaurant Group, Tom Pyburn of Emeril’s Homebase and Keith Rush of the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

The 2015 LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational Sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Louisiana Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Camellia Brand, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Louisiana Gas Association, Whole Foods, Alack Culinary Equipment & Supplies Superstore, Centerplate, Coca-Cola, Community Coffee, Custom Apparel, Ecolab, Freeman Decorating, Generations Hall and the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

The participating schools in the Culinary Arts Competition are: Abbeville High School, Career Academy, Dutchtown High School, East Iberville High School, East St. John High School, Fontainebleau High School, Grace King High School, Hammond High Magnet School, John Ehret High School, Lakeshore High School, North Vermilion High School, Salmen High School, St. James Parish Career & Technology Center, Sulphur High School, Tara High School, West Feliciana High School, West St. John High School and Woodlawn High School. 

The participating schools in the Management Competition are: Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy, Donaldsonville High School, Lakeshore High School, Hammond High Magnet School, North Vermilion High School, Springfield High School, Tara High School, West Feliciana High School and Woodlawn High School.

The winning teams will go on to represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational April 18-20, 2015 in Anaheim, Calif., where they will compete for an additional $1.4 million in scholarship dollars. 

Louisiana ProStart alum takes top honors at Bull Burger Battle

By Wendy Waren, LRA VP of Communications

Grace King High School ProStart® Program alumnus Owen Hohl is making quite a name for himself, most recently with his now award-winning Cajun Burger. Hohl, who is the executive sous chef at Hot Tails Restaurant in New Roads, Louisiana, beat out 15 competitors June 14 at the Bull Outdoor Product’s Bull Burger Challenge in Baton Rouge; some of them much more experienced chefs than he.

Louisiana ProStart alum Owen Hohl wins Bull Outdoor Product's Bull
Burger Challenge in Baton Rouge, June 14 and heads to Las Vegas
in November to compete for the World Burger title. 

The nation’s best burger cooks and chefs squared off in the Bull Burger Battle, a series of five live burger cook-offs events in New York, Baton Rouge, Chicago, San Diego and Indianapolis.

Hohl competed in the 2013 battle and admittedly over thought his burger recipe.

“I baked my own bun, made my own Boursin cheese, grinded my own meat,” Hohl said. “I did everything from scratch.”

With all his efforts though, the judges felt his methods were overly complicated and his bite was too large. This year, he decided to simplify his processes, although his recipe was still multi-faceted. 

“I love making burgers and using ingredients you may not normally associate with a traditional burger, like grilled peaches with Swiss cheese to get that savory and sweet taste on the palate,” said Hohl.

With all the ideas of what burger he’d present to the judges on June 14, he decided to stick with the flavors indicative of his Cajun roots. The winning burger was made with balsamic caramelized onions in Andouille fat, homemade pickled peppers, smoked Gouda and his secret recipe for remoulade sauce. He took in to account his feedback from the previous year and made his patty smaller in size at 5 ounces.

“We had two hours and luckily I made an extra burger for myself, which with 10 minutes left before time was called, I was able to taste,” added Hohl. “I had some extra onions and Andouille left and decided to add more to the burgers for the judges and it paid off.”

Hohl’s score of 87 points placed him well ahead of the other competitors, with the second place coming in five points behind him. Fifty percent of the score was based on taste, 35 was based on execution and 15 for presentation.

As the Baton Rouge Challenge winner, Hohl will compete alongside the winners of the four other battles November 12-18 in the World Burger Championship as part of Team Bull at the World Food Championships in downtown Las Vegas. The wheels in his mind are already turning as the competitors do not have to compete with their original battle burger recipes.

“I may do a seafood burger with a crawfish topping or use pancetta,” said Hohl. “My decision will probably come down to the days right before I leave for Vegas.”

His cooking competition experience dates to 2006, when he was a junior at Grace King High School and first competed in the Louisiana ProStart Student Invitational Culinary Competition, where teams of four Prostart students prepare a four-course, gourmet meal in just one hour. During his senior year, he and his teammates competed in the ProStart Competition and won state and went on to represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational in Charlotte, NC.

“Competing in the ProStart Culinary Competitions really taught me how to manage my time, the process, seasonings and ultimately, present cuisine that I’m proud of and that impress the judges,” he added. “Those ProStart lessons served me well two years ago when I competed in Fete Rouge and I won first place in the seafood category.”

His winning Fete Rouge dish was a white étouffée, made with Louisiana seafood and coconut milk, served over purple Louisiana rice with a side of fried plantains.

When asked what advice he’d give ProStart students and other chefs who want to give it a go in the competition arena, he said, “Stay calm, stick with your plan and don’t second guess yourself.”

Between now and November, Hohl will test countless burger recipes before deciding what he will present to the judges in Las Vegas.

“I’m really excited to have the chance to compete at this level and regardless of whether I win, I’m just looking forward to the experience,” he said. 

Experience the glory of the 2014 LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational

Couldn't make it to the LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational? 

Check out our newest video complete with live action from the Culinary and Management Competitions and interviews with judges, students, instructors, LRA Chair Bruce Attinger and LRA President/CEO Stan Harris. 

Watch the video! 

For a full recap and to see the winners of the 2014 Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational Culinary and Management Competitions, click here.  

LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational Winners Announced

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) hosted the 13^th Annual Louisiana Seafood ProStart^® Student Invitational, March 25-26, 2014 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The Invitational showcased the culinary and academic talents of students from 20 high schools across Louisiana, and featured two primary components: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition. This was the second of a multi-year relationship with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the competition’s title sponsor, and was represented by Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, who addressed the students, teachers and parents during the awards ceremony.

During the Culinary Competition, teams demonstrated their knife skills, poultry fabrication and creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, consisting of a soup, salad or appetizer; an entrée with a protein, vegetable and starch; and a dessert. All teams’ menus had to feature at least one type of the six Louisiana seafood species.

Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, LRAEF Chair Helen LeBourgeois
and LRA President/CEO Stan Harris with Culinary
Competition winners Lakeshore High School's ProStart team.

The winner of the Culinary Competition was Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Judy Achary and students Matthew Bertucci, Yenifer Fuentes, Alma Hagans, Hunter Trahan and alternate, Tatiana Joseph. The second place team was West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, led by instructor Amy Dreher and students Elizabeth Ritchie-Fudge, Zachary Lester, Amanda Mangham and Ian Moreau. The third place team was Ascension Parish- Dutchtown High School in Geismar, led by instructor Traci Martin and students Haley Thompson, Kyong Soo Han, Tyler Moore, Kathryn Sappe and alternate, Autumn Lee.

Lakeshore’s winning menu was: appetizer- crab-stuffed avocado served over a bed of arugula, topped with tangy vinaigrette; entrée-seared shrimp and Andouille sausage in a Cajun sauce with creamy grits; and dessert-Black and Gold parfait: creamy peanut butter mousse, layered with rich chocolate pudding and banana sauté, topped with peanuts and a brûléed banana fan.

Teams participating in the Management Competition demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a new restaurant concept proposal, creating a visual display, delivering a verbal presentation to a panel of judges and applying critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations.

Hammond High Magnet School's ProStart team takes top
place in Management Competition, with Lt. Gov.
Jay Dardenne, LRAEF Chair Helen LeBourgeois & LRA
President/CEO Stan Harris. 

The winner of the Management Competition was Hammond High Magnet School, led by instructor Angie Drago and students Todreion Amos, Sarah Davis, Courtney Edwards, Julia Lassalle and alternate, Jemario Rheams. The second place team was North Vermilion High School in Maurice, led by instructor Phyllis Bonhagen and students Sydney Thibodeaux, Lane Broussard, Jessica Doiron, Jamie Montet and Lindsey Morris. The third place team was Rayne High School, led by instructor Kandice Dequeant and students Phillip Broussard, Alyssa Billings and Natalie Breaux. 

Hammond’s winning restaurant concept was “Take 2,” a family restaurant, serving American cuisine inspired by some of America’s favorite movies.

Lakeshore High School and Hammond High Magnet School will represent Louisiana in the National ProStart Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn. May 3-5, 2014.

New this year, were additional awards that recognized schools for their individual achievements in various categories within the two competitions.

Culinary:

• Knife Skills Award: Hammond High Magnet School, instructor Angie Drago
• Safety & Sanitation Award: Slidell High School, instructor Stephen Aucoin
• Judges’ Pick- Appetizer: West Feliciana High School, whose team prepared a fried softshell crab, tomato confit and arugula sandwich, with fried capers and cornichon mustard. Instructor is Amy Dreher.
• Judges’ Pick- Entrée: Salmen High School, whose team prepared seared Louisiana Gulf trout, with sautéed green beans and a root vegetable hash, topped with a classic Meunière sauce. Instructor is Allison Armand.
• Judges’ Pick- Dessert: Mandeville High School, whose team prepared New Orleans bread pudding, layered with vanilla-poached Louisiana strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, finished with freshly whipped cream. Instructor is Carolyn Senac.

The courses chosen by the judges will be interpreted and served to the guests at the LRAEF’s annual Five Star Futures Gala Saturday, August 2, 2014 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Management:

• Judges’ Award- Restaurant Concept: Donaldsonville High School, instructor Angela Amedee
• Judges’ Award- Critical Thinking: Slidell High School, instructor Stephen Aucoin
• Judges’ Award- Visual Display: Sulphur High School, instructor Cassady Hickingbottom
• Judges’ Award- Verbal Presentation: Fontainebleau High School, instructor Stacey Russell

The 2014 LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational Sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Raising Cane’s, Louisiana Gas Association, Whole Foods, Entergy, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s “Sea of Hope,” Centerplate, Coca-Cola, Community Coffee, Custom Apparel, Ecolab, Freeman Decorating, Generations Hall and the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

ProStart is a two-year comprehensive culinary management course for juniors and seniors in high school with two primary outcomes: to prepare students for higher education and to train students to go directly to work in Louisiana’s foodservice industry. The LRAEF pairs ProStart students and LRA members together in a mutually-beneficial relationship. Students are required to complete a 400-hour work internship, thus providing hands-on training. Many of LRA members serve as mentors to ProStart students. 

ProStart students statewide to compete for $1.2 million in scholarships

For the past 13 years, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) has hosted an annual ProStart Student Competition. This year, March 25-26, 2014, 23 teams from across the state will convene for the first time at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center to compete in the Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational. More exciting is that the top three teams in each competition will have more than $1.2 million in scholarship opportunities to the top Louisiana and nationwide culinary institutions.

“What is evident is the demand by leading culinary institutions to recruit Louisiana ProStart students for their programs,” said LRA President/CEO Stan Harris. “The amount of scholarship dollars the LRAEF obtains for our students rivals those secured by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for its National ProStart Invitational winners.”

Administered by the LRAEF, ProStart is a two-year comprehensive culinary management course for juniors and seniors in high school with two primary outcomes: to prepare students for higher education and to train students to go directly to work in Louisiana’s foodservice industry.

“There are so many rewarding career possibilities for these young people participating in ProStart,” said LRAEF Chair Helen LeBourgeois. “In the next decade, our industry in Louisiana will add more than 17,000 new positions.”

The competition showcases the culinary and academic talents of high school junior and senior ProStart students and features two primary components: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition.

During the Culinary Competition, Tuesday, March 25 from 10:45-5 p.m., teams will demonstrate their creative abilities through the presentation of a three-course, gourmet meal consisting of: a soup, salad or appetizer; a protein such as meat, fish or fowl, vegetable and starch; and a cold or flambé dessert. All teams’ menus must feature at least one type of Louisiana seafood. Twenty-four judges from the foodservice industry and post-secondary educational institutions will observe and rate their performance during the competition.

“The judges are always impressed by the degree of difficulty the students undertake when preparing and presenting their dishes,” said LeBourgeois. “Some of them judge ProStart competitions in other states and consistently compliment our students on how well they season their dishes.”

Teams participating in the Management Competition, Wednesday, March 26 from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., will demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant proposal, delivering a verbal presentation and applying critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations. Their performance will be observed and rated by 15 judges from leading colleges and universities and industry professionals.

“Louisiana teams do extremely well at Nationals, particularly the management teams,” added LeBourgeois. “Several years ago, Louisiana took top place at the National ProStart Invitational in the Management Competition and consistently places in the top 5.”  

To compete at this level for high schools students is a testament to the ProStart curriculum and the dedication of the teachers to preparation them for the challenge. To effectively compete requires teamwork, planning, communication, measurement, and writing and presentation skills.

“Of all the events the LRA hosts, the ProStart Competition is by far my favorite to attend,” said Harris. “It is exciting to see these young people test their skills and knowledge of culinary and management techniques, while showing their commitment to teamwork and their future.”

The ProStart Competition and the work of the LRAEF are made possible by the nine LRA Chapters and their annual contributions, as well as its Annual Partners. This year’s event sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Raising Cane’s, Louisiana Gas Association, Whole Foods, Entergy, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s “Sea of Hope,” Centerplate, Coca-Cola, Community Coffee, Custom Apparel, Ecolab, Freeman Decorating, Generations Hall and the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.  

“This annual event allows us to showcase the commitment of these young people, who are training to become the future leaders of Louisiana’s restaurant industry,” added Harris. “The LRA encourages its members to hire ProStart students and to further the LRAEF’s mission, the LRA State Board has dedicated a portion of its excess surplus annually to the Scholarship Fund.” 

Students get cookin' as ProStart competition season heats up

The run-up to this year’s National ProStart Invitational in May has officially begun, with high-school students from around the country prepping to compete in the culinary and management competitions, where winners will secure educational scholarships and pursue careers in the restaurant industry, officials of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation said.

The Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational is scheduled for March 25-26, 2014 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.  ProStart teams placing in the top three spots for the culinary and management competitions will receive nearly $1 million in scholarships from the nation’s and Louisiana’s most notable programs.

“Nearly 200 Louisiana ProStart students will participate this year,” said Alice Glenn, LRA Education Foundation Executive Director. “For the second year, ProStart students will be required to feature at least one of six of the Louisiana seafood species—oysters, crab, shrimp, finfish, alligator and crawfish—in either their appetizer or entrée in the culinary competition.”

Management competition contenders are required to include Louisiana seafood in the restaurant concept menu.

The winning Louisiana team in culinary and management will go on to vie for a spot at the national event in Minneapolis, May 3-5, as well as scholarships from renowned schools, including Johnson & Wales University, Le Cordon Bleu and Sullivan University.

The ProStart program, created by the NRAEF in partnership with the restaurant industry, is administered and managed by 48 participating state restaurant associations around the United States, as well as programs in Guam and Department of Defense (DOD) high schools on U.S. military bases. It helps introduce students to potential career opportunities in foodservice and features a specialized curriculum – Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts – that was developed with the help of industry professionals.

According to Rob Gifford, the NRAEF’s executive vice president of philanthropic initiatives, total restaurant and foodservice employment is projected to grow by 11 percent over the next 10 years, and the Educational Foundation along with its state association partners “are committed to ensuring the development of highly trained and professional talent pool through scholarships and educational programs.

“Thanks to the dedication and leadership of our state partners, ProStart is part of a national movement to empower students with the training and opportunities they need to achieve fulfilling, lifelong careers,” he said.

The culinary phase of the National ProStart Invitational will highlight the creative abilities of each team as they prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes using two butane burners and no access to running water or electricity. Teams will be evaluated on taste, teamwork, safety and sanitation, among other skills, while the management teams will develop a business proposal for an original restaurant concept and present it to a panel of industry judges, who will challenge them to address the issues restaurant managers face on a daily basis. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 900 attendees, including industry and academic leaders, NRAEF board members, state restaurant association representatives, ProStart educators, and the contestants’ friends and family members.

Students at this year’s state competitions will participate in 46 culinary cook-offs and 40 management demonstrations. The state competitions will run through April.

For more information about ProStart, visit NRAEF.org/ProStart, Twitter or Facebook.

Hammond and Rayne teams takes first place in Louisiana Seafood ProStart Competition

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) hosted the 12^th Annual Louisiana Seafood ProStart^® Student Competition, March 5-6, 2013 at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. The competition showcased the culinary and academic talents of students from 17 high schools across Louisiana, and featured two primary components: the Culinary Arts Competition and the Restaurant Management Competition. This year began a multi-year relationship with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the competition’s title sponsor.

During the Culinary Arts Competition, teams demonstrated their knife skills, poultry fabrication and creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, consisting of: a soup, salad or appetizer; an entrée with a protein, vegetable and starch; and a dessert. All teams’ menus had to feature at least one type of the six Louisiana seafood species.

Hammond High Magnet School's team takes
top place in the Louisiana Seafood
ProStart Culinary Competition, March 5.

For the sixth year in a row, the winner of the Culinary Arts Competition was Hammond High Magnet School, led by instructor Patti Johnson and students Jacquita Jolley, Julia LaSalle, Edna Phares and Chantal Quillen. The second place team was Salmen High School in Slidell, led by instructor Allison Armand and students Sean Coats, Courtney Mobley, Lauren Pedeaux, Ta’Ron Rayford and alternate, Shilon Callahan. The third place team was first-time competitor West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, led by instructor Amy Dreher and students Warneiseya Davis, Chaselan Lee Eames, Amanda Mangham, Elizabeth Ritchie-Fudge and alternate, Deneshia Walker.

Hammond’s winning menu was: appetizer-pumpkin seed and curry crusted jumbo Anna Maria Gulf Shrimp, Mardi Gras slaw, pepper bacon and Creole cane sauce with jumbo lump Louisiana crab; entrée-braised pork “Osso Bucco,” bacon jam, cornmeal dusted, goat cheese grits and lardon field greens; and dessert-Red Velvet pan “cakes,” with cream cheese icing, whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, and garnished with a Ponchatoula strawberry.

Teams participating in the Restaurant Management Competition demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant proposal, delivering a verbal presentation, creating a visual display and applying critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations.

Rayne High School's team takes first place in the
Louisiana Seafood ProStart Management Competition.

For the fourth year in a row, the winner of the Restaurant Management Competition was Rayne High School, led by instructor Kandice Dequeant and students Kelsey Burleigh, Sebastian Hebert and Beth Thibodeaux. The second place team was Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Angie Drago and students Dylan Bernard, Mark Gravois and Graham Roth. The third place team was Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Judy Achary and students Brandi Francis, Rachel Howard, Ricardo Najorro, Elizabeth Salazar and alternate, Katie Taylor.

Rayne’s winning restaurant concept was a food truck called Rock & Wrap, with the tagline, “Healthy Without the Hassle.”

Hammond High Magnet Academy and Rayne High School will represent Louisiana in the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland April 19-21, 2013.

The 2013 Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Competition Sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Ocean Conservancy, Ovations, ECOLAB, Mestizo Restaurant, Notini’s Restaurant, Capitol City Produce, Centerplate, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Freeman Decorating, Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center, Reinhart Foodservice and Sysco New Orleans.

“We are proud to sponsor the Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Competition,” said Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board Executive Director Ewell Smith. “It is a great way for us to introduce the students to cooking with Louisiana seafood and demonstrate how it can be used to create award winning dishes like the ones we saw in the competition. I am glad to know that these talented students will be the future spokespeople for our restaurant and seafood communities.”

ProStart is a two-year comprehensive culinary management course for juniors and seniors in high school with two primary outcomes: to prepare students for higher education and to train students to go directly to work in Louisiana’s foodservice industry. The LRAEF pairs ProStart students and LRA members together in a mutually-beneficial relationship. Students are required to complete a 400-hour work internship, thus providing hands-on training. Many of LRA members serve as mentors to ProStart students.

Louisiana Seafood center plate at the 12th Annual ProStart Competition

Nearly 20 ProStart teams from across Louisiana demonstrated their culinary prowess during yesterday’s competition held at the Pontchratrain Center in Kenner. This year, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board was the title sponsor and teams used delicious Louisiana seafood in either their appetizer or entrees, and some teams opted for both.

"People visit Louisiana to enjoy our delicious cuisine and our seafood," said Stan Harris, President/CEO, LRA. "Having Louisiana Seafood as the title sponsor re-enforces its important culinary role to a captive audience --the future chefs and restaurateurs in our industry."

Students exhibited their impressive preparation skills with shrimp, crab, crawfish and finfish from our bounty rich waters before fellow teams, family members and members of the LRA Board of Directors.

"These students work so hard on their three-courses in hopes of wowing the chef judges like Chris Lusk, Haley Bitterman, Tariq Hannah and others," Harris added.

Each member of the top three teams in the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition will receive $870,000 in scholarships to notable schools in Louisiana and nationwide. The winning team of each competition will represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore in late April.

Winners will be announced later today at the Closing Ceremony.

ProStart is a two year culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum offered in 45 high schools across Louisiana. The program is designed to attract students to meaningful and rewarding careers in our world renowned culinary and hospitality industries.