St. Joseph Convent retains culinary competition title

By Linda Straker

They did it in 2012, and in 2013 the team from St. Joseph Convent, St. George’s was again declared the winner of the recently held Dutch Lady Milk Secondary Schools’ Culinary Competition with 122.5 points.

Ten schools participated in the competition, which was one of three activities co-ordinated and sponsored by Dutch Lady Milk as part of its campaign aimed at educating young people, and by extension adults, about the wider use of milk. In second position was St. Rose Modern Secondary School with 96 points and third was MacDonald’s College whose team scored 86 points.

St. Joseph Convent students doing final decorations to their cuisine.

Students from the top school with officials
from Hubbards, and the Ministry of Education.

“It encourages the schools to do better in the culinary arts,” said District Officer from the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Meryl Lord.

The participants in the competition were Form Five students, who have signed up to write the CXC exams.

“This competition is used to prepare students for that final exam,” said Curriculum Officer, Pamela Courtney.

Produced in Holland by Friesland Campina, Dutch Lady Milk is distributed locally by Hubbards Agency.

“We are pleased with what we saw, and will continue with this competition because we believe it is having a positive impact on the students. Our dream is that all schools will participate in the 2014 competition,” said Margaret Roberts, Manager of Hubbards Agency, who explained that the first competition only saw six schools participating.

“But this year we had ten, so its interest is there and just a matter of time for all schools to enter the competition,” she said.

As a result of the almost 100% increase in schools for 2013, there was a semi-final round and only six schools made it to the final round of the competition.

Besides the culinary competition, the educational promotion of the milk for 2013 also involved a poem and essay competition for students, which received the approval of the Ministry of Education.

The winners for the poem and essay initiatives will be announced at the launch of the 2014 competitions, which will be held on January 23, 2014. For the first time, a representative from Holland will be present to witness the launch of the promotion. That representative, along with senior management of Hubbards, will present the winners with prizes, which will include electronic items, gifts certificates, backpacks and gift vouchers.