ProStart students from five high schools across Connecticut joined some of the top chefs in our state to provide a gourmet Farm Table Dinner at the CRA Golf Classic on June 28 at Lyman Orchard Golf Course.
The CRA Golf Classic has been a tradition for years. This year 248 golfers gathered on two courses for a day of fun and celebration after taking a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Golf was followed by dinner for over 300 people. When we began the planning for this event, we talked to Chef Emily Mingrone, Tavern on State, and Chef Scott Miller, DORO Group, about how to get our ProStart culinary students involved. Like so many things, in-person events and learning took a backseat for our future chefs and we wanted to try to give them a way to get hands on experience.
Industry connections are one of the key principles of the ProStart Program. "Providing access to industry and connecting our students is a key element to the ProStart Program," says Jennifer Conkling-Schmitz, Foundation Manager. "This is how we develop and train the future of our industry."
In addition to Mingrone and Miller, chefs participating included Chef Jes Bengston from Terrain Cafe & Amis Trattoria (Westport), Ashley Flagg from Millwright's (Simsbury) and Renee Touponce from Oyster Club (Mystic).
Students included Aliah Acosta-Mercado (Windsor), Megan Ash (Stamford), Deandre Kerr (New Haven), Alesha Sanchez (New Haven) and Desiree Soucy (Torrington).
To learn more about the ProStart Program, visit ctrestaurant.org/prostart.
The CRA Golf Classic has been a tradition for years. This year 248 golfers gathered on two courses for a day of fun and celebration after taking a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Golf was followed by dinner for over 300 people. When we began the planning for this event, we talked to Chef Emily Mingrone, Tavern on State, and Chef Scott Miller, DORO Group, about how to get our ProStart culinary students involved. Like so many things, in-person events and learning took a backseat for our future chefs and we wanted to try to give them a way to get hands on experience.
Industry connections are one of the key principles of the ProStart Program. "Providing access to industry and connecting our students is a key element to the ProStart Program," says Jennifer Conkling-Schmitz, Foundation Manager. "This is how we develop and train the future of our industry."
In addition to Mingrone and Miller, chefs participating included Chef Jes Bengston from Terrain Cafe & Amis Trattoria (Westport), Ashley Flagg from Millwright's (Simsbury) and Renee Touponce from Oyster Club (Mystic).
Students included Aliah Acosta-Mercado (Windsor), Megan Ash (Stamford), Deandre Kerr (New Haven), Alesha Sanchez (New Haven) and Desiree Soucy (Torrington).
To learn more about the ProStart Program, visit ctrestaurant.org/prostart.
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