A Leadership Greater McHenry County event at McHenry High School’s Upper Campus Thursday delivered the opportunity for Warrior Chef students to learn about what it takes to cater a large event.
The Thursday (Feb. 8) lunch marks the first large food service event for an outside group since the Warrior Chef culinary program started at the high school in the 2019-20 school year. It also gave students a chance to use the newly renovated commercial kitchen at Upper Campus for a large food service event.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the capstone vocational program to delay large events and focus more on internal culinary competitions. The last time Warrior Chef students catered an event was a year or two ago for an Illinois Principal Association lunch for about a dozen educators. This time, students are preparing a menu for 40 people.
“This is what we envisioned for the program,” said Melanie Kadlec, culinary teacher and Warrior Chef instructor.
Students worked all week to prepare the menu of baked ziti, garden salad, rolls and snickerdoodle bars for the Feb. 8 event. The newly renovated kitchen provides more storage space, especially refrigerator and freezer space.
Dr. Jeff Prickett, Upper Campus principal, said the school participates in Leadership Greater McHenry County programs, so he agreed to host the group in the Warrior Room, and arranged for Warrior Chef to participate.
“I thought it was a great opportunity to show them what we’re doing at McHenry High
School,” Prickett said. “I hope we can give our kids more opportunities to do things like this.”
In addition to competitions and large events, Warrior Chef students also make treats and breads to sell during special events throughout the year, and they also prepare lunch for staff at least once a year.
Warrior Chef is a capstone course meant for students who have taken other culinary arts classes and are interested in careers in food service. Students who take this course have the opportunity to complete their ServSafe Food Handler Certificate, which is a program offered by the National Restaurant Association.