Clayton High School Takes First in Student Chef Competition

Clayton High School culinary arts students recently took first place in the  St. Louis ProStart Warm-Up, according to a release from the school. It is the school's first year competing.

Seniors Amelia Stubblefield, Laura Kratcha and Colin Shenberger and junior Ida Campbell-Jones earned the top score among the six local teams who competed in Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts's challenge, which took place Jan. 30. The CHS team took first place by receiving 342 out of 360 possible points in the contest.

CHS received 342 out of 360 possible points, according to the release.

The students’ appetizer, main course and dessert were judged by four professional chefs with nearly 100 years of combined experience in the industry. Kratcha was awarded a perfect score for the dessert she prepared for the competition.

“I couldn't have been more proud to watch my students take the ‘stage’ in their full chef uniforms and watch them perform,” Culinary Arts teacher Lauren Compton said in the release. “These students have the skills and the passion to achieve their dreams. They were brilliant!”

The CHS Culinary Arts program is in its second year at CHS following the construction of the school’s state-of-the-art kitchen facilities funded by Proposition S. This two-year program provides students with an interest in food the opportunity to learn about and prepare for a future career in the restaurant and hospitality industry. 

The next competition for the CHS ProStart Culinary and Management competition teams will be the Missouri ProStart Invitational state contest held Feb. 14-15 in Union, Mo.