Conestoga chef and hospitality students put to the test at provincial competition: Jasmine Mangalaseril

With capstone projects top of mind, end-of-term can be busy and stressful for college students completing their diploma programs. 

For Dux Donyll Menil, Sanskruti Patil and Emilie Duffin, it also means extra hours in training so they can represent Conestoga College's School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at the Skills Ontario competition in early May.

With more than 2,400 secondary and post secondary students vying for medals, it's Canada's largest skilled trades competition.

While good marks are important, intangible qualities also play a part in selecting competitors.

"There's always the gifted one in class where you can see the ideas are very different, interesting," explained chef Sergio Shidomi, one of Conestoga's culinary instructors. "Who's standing out from the group. It's not easy to do…it's a lot to absorb, so they have to be a very calm person, too."

Restaurant Service

Dux Donyll Menil's attention to detail and problem-solving skills were important factors in being selected for the Restaurant Service competition. 

"So much of service is about personality and problem solving in the moment. Dux, our competitor, already he's a great server," said Darryl Haus, hospitality instructor and maître d' at Conestoga's Bloom Restaurant. "You can tell he really, truly is a professional because he knows how to read the guests. He knows how to meet and exceed their expectations."

Menil arrived at Conestoga having studied hospitality and hotel management in the Philippines. Here, he knits together academics and work from both sides of the globe.

"Working in a restaurant as the server, you think that is a simple thing, but if you're going to put yourself in our shoes, we have a hard time to shift your mood while you're here in the restaurant," said Menil. "We're not only serving food. We're giving you an experience."

The Restaurant Service competition will test Menil's bartending skills and ability to identify wine varietals. He will also be expected to serve a four-course meal for four and prepare a unique non-alcoholic cocktail from a list of provided ingredients. 

Haus and Conestoga instructors, Sam Prout (bartending) and Nikki Does (wines) oversee his training.  

Baking Competition

Over the course of their diplomas, Sanskruti Patil and Emilie Duffin displayed a strong understanding of flavours. Shidomi also mentioned Patil's clean presentations at in-school competitions, while Duffin's forte is thinking outside the box. 

Their coaches are chefs Sabine Heinrich-Kumar and Tim Simpson with Shidomi providing guidance when and as he can.

"I get to learn new things...our chefs are so good they calm us down. They run down the process to us and then it's really great," said Patil.

As the students' training progresses, their confidence grows.

"They've been giving me great feedback on the flavours and the designs," said Duffin. "It's been really helpful for...refining everything."

In Toronto, Patil and Duffin will compete as individuals, creating bonbons, macarons, and a sculptural chocolate centrepiece. Each submission will need to meet specific weights and measurements and the recipes they're currently developing must use ingredients from a list provided by contest organizers.

Attracting young people to skilled trades

According to Employment and Social Development Canada, more than 700,000 tradespeople in Canada are expected to retire within five years, which means these competitions are important in highlighting career possibilities for the next generation.

These events help colleges attract students, and the students benefit too. Apart from testing their skills outside their school environment, participants make connections and build their professional networks.

And while competition training is a lot of extra work, it also allows them to excel beyond their usual schoolwork.

"At the end of the day, this as an opportunity for the student to push themselves. So often in the industry, we push ourselves to be better and to learn better," said Haus. "And this is an opportunity for them to grow."