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SULLIVAN UNIVERSITY HOSTING JUNIOR CHEF COMPETITION

MORE THAN $100,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO BE AWARDED

LOUISVILLE, KY. – More than $100,000 in college scholarships will be at stake when high school teams from Kentucky and six other southeastern states will meet at Sullivan University Thursday, May 10, for the finals of the Junior Chef Competition.

What began as the Farm to Table competition at the 2013 Kentucky State Fair has grown into a premier young chef’s competition that this year features two-time Kentucky state champion Montgomery County High School going against teams from North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

“The Junior Chef Competition is a tremendous opportunity for these kids to compete for college scholarships and the championship trophy, put their skills and what they’ve learned to a great test and have a memorable experience and a good time,” said Chef David Dodd, Executive Director of the National Center for Hospitality Studies at Sullivan University. “Some of these students wind up working in really good restaurants. We are going to see a lot of talent in our kitchen this week.”

Each team produces two dishes during the competition. Winning dishes in past competitions have included Baked Hot Brown Penne, Layered Taco Bowl and Kickin’ Chicken Salad.

Students competing in the Junior Chef Competition learn educational life and work skills including culinary practices, recipe development, food preparation/presentation, and the nutritional value of fresh local foods as well as marketing, teamwork, and community outreach. By investing in the Farm to School Junior Chef Program, not only will the next generation be healthier, but they will also be more informed consumers who value farmers and support local food systems, not as a novelty, but as a way of life.

“The Junior Chef program teaches essential food preparation skills while also educating young people about the importance of buying nutritious local Kentucky Proud foods,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said in a statement. “This competition has become a national model, and we owe it all to our staff in the Kentucky Department of Agriculture as well as Sullivan University and our other generous sponsors.”

Chef Dodd, a world-renowned chef and educator, serves as one of the competition judges, as do faculty of the Sullivan University culinary program.

“Sullivan University and the Sullivan family is delighted to have the teams here and host the annual competition,” Chef Dodd said. “It’s going to be another great event.”

In addition to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and Sullivan University, sponsors include the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Beef Council, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.

The media is invited and encouraged to attend and cover the Junior Chef Competition, which will begin at approximately at 11:30 a.m. in Kitchen 2 at Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies, 3101 Bardstown Rd.