SD High School teams participate in “ProStart Invitational”

PIERRE, S.D. - Eight South Dakota high school teams participated in a series of culinary competitions Thursday during the “South Dakota ProStart Invitational.”

Teams from across the state participated in various contests, including a cake decorating contest, a “restaurant management” competition, and a culinary contest.

The culinary contest required teams to create a three course meal in under an hour, which was then judged for it’s taste and its display by a panel of some of South Dakota’s most prominent industry professionals.

“It is amazing, I cannot believe some of the things that you get out of kids,” said Nathan Dahl. Dahl, a judge for the competition, owns a food truck in Rapid City.

Mitchell Career & Technical Education Academy was the winner of the “restaurant management” competition and the culinary contest. They will advance on to the national ProStart competition, which will take place in May in Washington D.C.

While the competition is intended to bring out the best in the kids, the hope is that many of the same people competing will one day become the next generation of culinary experts in South Dakota.

“A career in culinary arts is rewarding, because you get to create something,” said Dahl. “You get to make things with your hands, and you are putting a lot of love and a lot of soul into it too.”

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