Aspiring chefs compete to win free semester at Conestoga College

Twenty aspiring high school chefs put their kitchen skills to the test Thursday to win a free semester at Conestoga College.

For the competition, students were split into pairs. Five of the teams then competed in the cooking portion, while another five tackled baking.

“The winner gets their first-year tuition paid at Conestoga when they enroll in a culinary or baking program,” Keith Muller, executive dean for the School of Hospitality, explained.

Abby Renner and Tristan Palin won the cooking competition.

“I think this is an amazing prize, and I’m just so grateful for this competition,” Renner added.

Brodie Oliver and Bridgit Kleinboeck, meanwhile, were the winning team in the baking competition.

“It means the world to me,” said Kleinboeck.

The same sentiment was shared by her teammate.

“I didn’t expect to win, I kind of just came to have fun, and I was hoping to win,” Oliver said.

The students had four hours to present multiple dishes, including pastries, soups and risotto.

“We were really right down to the last second, which I though might be out downfall, but it wasn’t,” said Renner. “I’m really happy about that.”

For Conestoga College, the competition is a way to inspire the next generation of chefs.

“We certainly have some of the best facilities in the country when it comes to cooking, and for students to be able to come in to work here today in the competition, it’s really an eye opener for many of them who have not seen the facilities,” said Muller.

The financial support, he added, is meant to fuel young dreams.

“I would really like to open up my own bakery, like just control my own space, create whatever I like,” Kleinboeck said.

Palin is also dreaming big for life after high school.

“I’m really interested in becoming a professional chef, and I feel like that’s a really big stepping stone for me to go onto that path,” Palin explained.

Staff at Conestoga College said they’re hoping at make it an annual competition.