Alyssa Paron (left), Bev Facey Baker Technician, and Jennifer Steele-Watts (right), Bev Facey Chef and Culinary Teacher, stand next to Bev Facey students Owen Inkster, Andrew Kalvin and Kara Mah who won silver for the 2024 High School Culinary Challenge.

Sherwood Park, AB. — On March 18, Bev Facey Community High students Owen Inkster, Kara Mah and Andrew Kalvin won silver for the 17th annual High School Culinary Challenge (HSCC). “It’s a phenomenal feeling to begin my high school years with a silver medal,” says Mah, a Grade 10 student at Bev Facey. “Being able to share this experience with my team, coaches, family and friends means the world. I look forward to competing in the future and all the opportunities that will open up through this competition.”

The winners were announced last night, at the annual HSCC awards reception, hosted by the Canadian Culinary Federation Edmonton. “The Culinary Challenge was a great experience with the help and support of my amazing coaches,” says Kalvin, a Grade 11 student at Bev Facey. “I was inspired to push myself to do my best and work to bring home a medal. I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this amazing experience.”

In February, 16 regional high school teams competed in the challenge, including three EIPS teams from Bev Facey Community High, Salisbury Composite High and Vegreville Composite High. Each three-member team prepared a three-course meal—complete with appetizer, entrée and dessert. The plates were then evaluated by a panel of six judges, made up of accomplished professional chefs, using seven marking criteria: sanitation, timing, temperature, organization, presentation, preparation and, of course, taste. Overall, the judges were impressed with the calibre and skill level of the three teams.

Students compete in the HSCC with the support of their coaches and culinary teachers. Alyssa Paron, a baker technician, and Jennifer Steele-Watts, a chef and culinary teacher, share how mentoring at Bev Facey has affected them: “It’s amazing to coach students who are so dedicated to the culinary arts and to introduce them into this incredible industry. The passion that the kids have, make being their coaches so rewarding. They worked so hard, and this medal was so well-deserved.”

Many schools across the Division offer foods and culinary classes to students. These courses teach them how to prepare food, provide recipes they can use at home and allow them to discover careers associated with the culinary arts.

“It’s a great feeling to finish my high school years with a silver medal,” says Inkster, a Grade 12 student at Bev Facey. “Being able to share these experiences with my team, family and friends is what is pushing me deeper into the culinary industry. I am excited for the opportunities and doors that will open up for me because of this competition.”

Congratulations to Inkster, Mah, Kalvin and the two other Elk Island Public Schools teams involved in this year’s HSCC.

Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,750 students in 42 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, and the western portion of the County of Minburn.

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For more information, media can contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902