One hour. Two burners. Three courses. Yes, Chef!
Fox Valley Technical College hosted high school culinary teams from around Wisconsin for the 2026 ProStart® State Culinary Championship. The event, led by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, brought 12 culinary teams and four management teams to campus for a fast-paced, high-stakes day of competition.
In the culinary arena, students had one hour and two burners to prepare a three-course meal made up of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. As the students diced, sauteed and whipped up their culinary creations, a panel of judges made up of FVTC culinary faculty and foodservice industry professionals scored their work.
“I love my team. I love culinary. I’m going to Fox Valley Tech in August actually, for bakery and pastry management,” explains Natalie Sass, a member of the Kimberly High School team. “It just means so much. Just so many skills presented. It means a lot to me.”
In the management competition, four teams presented full restaurant concepts, complete with business plans, menus and visual displays.
This is the second time FVTC has hosted the statewide event. Culinary Arts instructor Cheff Jeff Igel served as one of the many FVTC faculty judges and had high praise for the competitors. “We could put some of the plates we see here today against some of the stuff our students are doing. I mean, it’s really incredible.”
Top Awards:
- 1st Place Culinary (Advancing to Nationals): Badger High School
- 2nd Place Culinary: Westosha Central High School
- 3rd Place Culinary: Wauwatosa West High School
- 1st Place Management (Advancing to Nationals): Franklin High School
- 2nd Place Management: Badger High School
- 3rd Place Management: Westosha Central High School
- Best Beef Entrée (Wisconsin Beef Council): Westosha Central High School
- Best Chocolate Dessert: Cudahy High School
Several local media outlets reported about the competition. Watch it here:
FOX11: Culinary students face off at FVTC
WBAY-TV: FVTC hosts 2026 Wisconsin ProStart Invitational
