Clinton Culinary Arts finishes fourth in national culinary competition

Special to The Clinton Courier

Clinton High School’s (CHS) culinary team has made three consecutive appearances in the annual National ProStart Invitational, the premier secondary school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts. This year, they found themselves ranked in the top five nationally.

Nine students enrolled in Clinton’s culinary program represented the state of Mississippi in Baltimore, Maryland, for the National ProStart Invitational hosted by the National Restaurant Association.
“I could not be more proud of these students and the dedication they’ve shown practicing for this competition since October,” CHS culinary arts instructor Catherine Bruce said. “Climbing from twenty-ninth in 2023 to fourth in the nation this year is a true testament to their hard work, talent and passion for culinary arts. They represented Mississippi with a beautifully executed, locally-inspired menu that wowed the judges.”

The national competition consisted of two events—Culinary Competition and Restaurant Management Competition.

In the Culinary competition, students prepare a three-course menu in only sixty minutes, with only two tables and two butane burners provided. All other equipment and ingredients traveled with the students as they flew to Baltimore.

The five students who made up the culinary team were Gloria Castro, Braylen Spann, Jeff Carter, Nirvana Jefferson and team manager Treazure Prince.

“I’m incredibly proud of our four graduating seniors who brought their A-game and of Braylen, a junior, stepping up and showing that the next generation is ready to carry the torch,” fellow culinary instructor Josh Phillips said.

The top-five-placing menu featured staples of Mississippi’s cuisine from the Delta to the Gulf Coast. The team’s starter was Crab Croquettes made with lump crab with charred corn and tomato salad, finished with sriracha lime aioli and chive tuile.

For their entrée, they served up Gulf Redfish over a smoked cheddar grit cake finished with citrus beurre blanc, served with mango salsa and tequila lime foam.

To close it all out was a homegrown dessert—Mississippi Mud Cake with coffee whipped cream, a dark chocolate ganache river, pecan wafer crumble and charred marshmallow crème.

Placing fourth in this competition, each student received a $3,000 scholarship prize from Coca-Cola, as well as other scholarships from elite culinary schools across the nation.

In a first for the program, four students competed in the Restaurant Management Competition. This aspect of the competition consists of students creating a restaurant concept and defending it before a panel of business professionals with categories including concept, staffing, menu design and marketing.

Though this year’s team was the first time CHS participated in the Management aspect, their concept caught the attention of their judges.

“Their ‘Tabletop Tavern’ concept impressed everyone, placing them 31st in the nation,” Chef Phillips said. “I’m excited to see how we do the next time we are given the opportunity to compete nationally. Both Chef Bruce and I learned so much this year, and we now believe we have a better understanding on how to coach the future management teams.”

Their concept was based on an experience-themed restaurant that featured over two hundred board games, as well as nostalgic video games that patrons can participate in while visiting the restaurant.

“It was a wonderful example of what is called a ‘third-place’ mindset, where the restaurant is a place to relax and connect with friends over great food and an immersive experience—work, home and here, with ‘here’ being the third place,” added Chef Phillips.

Making up Clinton’s first ever management team were Knox Walker, Emma Romig, Jonah Godbold and Addisyn Love.

Chef Bruce said she’s beyond proud of how far her students have progressed, not just in the competitions they have participated in, but also in developing as young professionals.

“Watching this program grow from a small classroom effort into a nationally-recognized team has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” she said. “We’re building something special here, and, with the momentum we’ve gained, the future of Clinton Culinary is brighter than ever.”