The recent California Restaurant Foundation’s 2023 ProStart Cup at the Long Beach Convention Center featured some 250 high schools for the two-day competition.

Included were students from Manteca Unified’s BE.Cuisine.

“(They) competed in culinary, management, and individual culinary events,” according to the proudtobemusd social media post.

The local group consisted of instructor Andrew Griggs, mentor Julia Williams, and students’ Fatima Xavier, Ambiance Simpson, Victoria Harding, and Jeremy Harmon.

BE.Cuisine is the Career Technical Education culinary program – those enrolled are introduced to a possible career in the restaurant and food service industries.

One of the ProStart Cup events consisted of students having to prepare an innovative three-course meal in an hour without use of electricity and only two camp stoves.

As a team, BE.Cuisine students placed 13th in the state. This was their first competition since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ProStart competition – held earlier this month – gave those involved a chance to showcase their culinary skills, talents, creativity, and passion.