The Gables Culinary Club competed in the 2020 ProStart Competition, which is hosted annually by the Florida Restaurant Lodging Association (FRLA). It took place in Orlando, Florida this past weekend from Mar. 7 to Mar.8 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. This year, the team competed in the Waiter Relay, placing second out of 58 schools. Pedro Benitez, Manuel Ramirez, and Richard Valdes all received a sum of $5,000 worth of scholarship money at Keiser University as a prize for their high standing in the competition. Both Mr. Flores and Mrs. Vera attended the competition alongside the students, and were there every step of the way.

The preparation for this accomplishment took more than a couple of days. The team emphasizes that the hard work leading up to the event was time consuming. They practiced the majority of everyday in Mrs.Vera’s culinary class and had to practice different napkin folds and place settings in order to be fully prepared for what was coming, and at the same time, be more time efficient than their opponents.

Culinary is more than just a hobby to these students, it is a way of changing someone’s life for the better. They express that, because of culinary arts, they have learned to manage their time better, be more organized and uphold a greater sense of responsibility. Being a part of a competition really gives a team a sense of what is out there, and a good way to display what they are learning from others when it comes dow to competing again.

“Culinary is a lifestyle that people do not really appreciate as much as they should. People should be more knowledgeable about culinary because at the end of the day, it is really important in our everyday lives. It has made me more responsible and I am able to keep myself more organized,” senior Richard Valdes said.

Two teams competed at a time, and each time had to run from a blue-taped line, and get to their tables in which they placed the table settings to Russian, American, and French settings. Aside from the place settings, contestants also had to do three different napkin folds: the tulip, the bishops hat, and the pinwheel.

“I think that accomplishing something as well as they did really gives Gables a good reputation. It is very challenging to surpass 57 schools,” sophomore Abigail Colodner said.

Now as victorious chefs, they hope to keep growing as a team and learn from their own mistakes, and there is no doubt that these Cavaliers will continue competing at ProStart and continue winning titles for the Cavalier name.