Two VGCC Students take top prize at Culinary competition
A pair of students in the Culinary Arts program at Vance-Granville Community College recently came away from a regional cooking competition with a victory. Shiona MacLean and Matthew Hosier, both of Oxford, won first place at an American Culinary Federation “Mystery Box” Hot Food competition held on April 1 as part of the annual Wake Technical Community College Culinary Arts Showcase. The event attracted more than 2,000 people to the Raleigh Convention Center.
MacLean and Hosier competed against two-person teams representing ten other culinary programs, including public and private schools from across North Carolina and one from Georgia.
The competition was called a “mystery box” because each team was presented with an identical box of 20 ingredients, which were only revealed right at the beginning of each of the two rounds. They were then given 30 minutes to decide how to use those ingredients and prepare a menu on the fly. Students then had one hour and 20 minutes for cooking and ten minutes for plating. As Hosier later recalled, “it all went by really fast!”
In the first round, the VGCC team prepared Seafood Alfredo, sautéed shrimp with butternut squash puree, pork roulade stuffed with goat cheese and pears, purple sweet potato mash and asparagus almandine. Because they were one of the five highest-scoring teams in the first round, MacLean and Hosier advanced to the second and final round. This time, their culinary creations included striped bass with mango salsa, basmati rice with toasted pine nuts, rack of lamb with a red wine reduction sauce, a vegetable medley, sautéed Swiss chard and roasted potatoes.
The ACF judges, who are master chefs themselves, presented medals to MacLean and Hosier, who also shared a $300 cash prize.
MacLean is set to graduate from VGCC in May with her associate degree in Culinary Arts. Hosier is scheduled to complete his degree in December.
“We could not be prouder of Shiona and Matt, who represented Vance-Granville with professionalism and grace under pressure,” said Chef Ross Ragonese, head of the VGCC Culinary Arts program. “They won this contest over students from some of the top culinary schools in the Southeast, and this was a significant competition because it was sanctioned by the ACF, an internationally recognized accrediting agency for culinarians.”
Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, added her congratulations to the students and their instructors. “This major achievement for our Culinary program is a testament not only to these students’ talent and creativity but also to the outstanding training that they have received,” President Williams said. “Shiona and Matt have demonstrated excellence and are well on their way to rewarding careers.”
VGCC’s two-year Culinary Arts degree program , based at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, prepares students for entry-level professional positions in food service and hospitality. For more information about the Culinary program, call Chef Ross Ragonese at (919) 690-0312 .
Above: From left, Chef Ross Ragonese, students Matthew Hosier and Shiona MacLean (wearing the medals won at the competition) and VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams. (VGCC photo)
