A group of Winnipeg high school students recently earned top international honours at a culinary competition series that took them from Montreal to Paris.
On June 7, the Gordon Bell Kitchen Brigade participated in the Culinary Brigades National Grand Finals at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec Culinary School in Montreal.
Gordon Bell Kitchen Brigade earns national finals spot in Montreal
The competition brought together five teams from Quebec and Manitoba, including the team from Gordon Bell, who ultimately took first place.
Working alongside local chef mentor Patrick Royandoyan of Princess Auto, the Grade 8-12 students Avery Van Solkema, Adetooni Adegoke, Cailyn Olshevski, Yevhen Zinchenko and Matea Thiessen-Unger were challenged to create a dish using secret ingredients, red fish, asparagus and tomatoes. Just days before the competition, teams were also given an unexpected Smoothie Challenge, where they were judged on presentation, consistency, use of dairy milk and taste.
In the end, the Gordon Bell team came out on top, securing the opportunity to represent Canada at an international competition in Paris, France, on June 20.
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In Paris, the team faced off against students from Collège Louis Nucera in Nice, France, and continued their success, winning the international competition.
Team members say their participation in Kitchen Brigade, spanning one to three years, has helped them build culinary skills, teamwork and confidence. They also say the experience has been especially meaningful for their school community.
“Gordon Bell High School isn’t known as a competitive school, so this win is something our school community is very proud of,” said the Kitchen Brigade team in a joint statement. “We are recognized for our skills and passions. It’s a huge honour to represent not just the country or province, but our school as well. We’re showing the world what Gordon Bell students are capable of, which is very meaningful.”