SCOTT FRIEDMAN

Pupils will participate in Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge

Elementary school students will use their culinary skills to reimagine their favorite lunch meals by creating original recipes in the 2020 Sodexo Future Chefs Challenge on March 28 at Old Bridge High School.

Nine students from the Old Bridge School District’s 11 elementary schools will compete, beginning at 8 a.m. when they will prepare their healthy recipes. The students will prepare 75 tasting portions and will each place one item on a show plate for judging, which will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The national initiative, now in its 10th year, was created to get students thinking about making healthy food choices while also encouraging them to be active and creative in the kitchen. High school culinary arts students and Sodexo employees will assist the elementary school students.

The contest is under the direction of Michelle Feliciano, Sodexo general manager, on-site service solutions.

Old Bridge is joining 253 other school districts across the country holding Future Chefs events in February and March. The winning students from each participating district will be considered for 40 regional finalist awards and the regional finalists will vie to become one of five national finalists competing for the public’s vote on SodexoUSA.com.

The students will prepare and present their creations before being assessed on criteria including originality, taste, kid friendliness and use of healthy ingredients.