APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – High school culinary students from across Wisconsin gathered at Fox Valley Technical College’s Appleton campus for the annual High School Burger and Cake Throwdown competition.
Participants from Franklin, Kimberly, Menasha, Neenah, Oshkosh West, Pewaukee, Plymouth, and Waupaca High Schools worked against the clock in the college’s kitchen labs.
The competition evaluated students on knife skills, cooking techniques, and overall presentation and flavor. Burgers were prepared from scratch, while cakes came pre-made, with decorating taking place during the event.
Neenah’s Ashley Turner won first place in the burger category, and Leah Brandt of Franklin earned top honors in the cake category. Both students received scholarships to Fox Valley Technical College’s culinary program.
Chef R.C. Schroeder, a culinary arts instructor at Fox Valley Technical College, highlighted the competition’s value for aspiring chefs and current culinary students.
“The high school students get an opportunity to put themselves out there, showcase their skills a little bit, and then on the other hand, our culinary students get the opportunity to host the competition and see how it runs from that side as well,” Schroeder said.
He emphasized how competitions like this one foster growth and lifelong learning.
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“It’s great to continue to push yourself so we cannot rest on where we’re at,” Schroeder added. “We need to get better every day, and competition is just one way to do that. For these students, it’s great to get feedback from all of the chef instructors on what could be better and how they could do things better.”
Schroeder also noted that the event allows Fox Valley Technical College to showcase its state-of-the-art kitchen labs to high school students as they prepare for college-level education.
