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2/22/2006

CLEARWATER, FL (February 22, 2006) – Student chefs from several area St. Petersburg/Clearwater area high schools tasted success at the Second Annual Pinellas Culinary Student Invitational Competition held Wednesday at the Largo Cultural Center.

The Culinary Competition is sponsored by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention &
Visitors Bureau as a fundraiser for high school culinary programs and to showcase the local talent for the area’s tourism industry. The contest is judged by professional chefs from the area’s top restaurants and resorts.

“The judges were very impressed with the skills and talents of the students,” notes Dannette Lynch, Director of Hospitality Education for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The real winners in the competition are the residents of Pinellas County who will get to taste the efforts of these great students someday at a local restaurant.”

The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Pinellas County School
System and the Pinellas County Restaurant Association created the culinary program to educate, encourage and expose students to careers in the culinary arts industry.

Eight students participated per school in categories of main entree, dessert and edible centerpiece. All judges are prominent chefs from the area. The goal of this event is to introduce industry partners to their future workforce and to support an event that directly impacts culinary education by funding the food products used in the classroom. The competition was judged on four criteria: flavor, presentation, utilization of product and sanitation. Students hope to gain program recognition, curriculum development, form industry partnerships and practice for state competitions.

“One of the fastest growing industries in the state is the hospitality industry,” said Carole
Ketterhagen, Executive Director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area CVB. “It is estimated that more than 10,000 new positions will need to be filled within the next four years. This competition brings awareness to this need in the tourism industry, the number one industry in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area.”

MEDIA CONTACT: James Raulerson, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
800-822-6461 or 727-464-7223; Fax 727-533-2192; jamesr@floridasbeach.com

COMPLETE RESULTS:
Edible Centerpiece
1st Evan Carpenterdeel, Tarpon Springs
2nd Dustin Roy, PTEC Clearwater
3rd TIE Jeff Watson, Northeast & Samantha Hubbell, Osceola
4th Kenneth Benson, Osceola

Entree
1st Northeast (Matt Mott, Josh Rigg, Austin Smith, & Chad Burt)
2nd Tarpon Springs (Shane Clark, Jason Issacs, & Andrew Jakubowicz)
3rd Osceola (Jodge Kastel, Shelbey Young, Kari Foland, & Terran Bagby)
4th PTEC Clearwater (Trevor Taylor, Clayton Hosch, & Michael Frontz)

Dessert
1st Northeast (Jason Juedes & Bret McCown)
2nd PTEC Clearwater (Danielle Macatugob & Kelly Ferguson)
3rd Tarpon Springs (Alyssa Andrews & Autumn Gordy)
4th Osceola (Alysa Curtis & Tiffany Downs)

CAPTIONS:
Culinary comp: Tarpon Springs High School student Evan Carpenterdeel works on his edible
centerpiece.

Culinary comp2: Students at the Culinary Competition are judged by professional chefs from some of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area’s finest restaurants. Pictured here is executive chef Sean Squires from
Clearwater’s Island Way Grille and student Jeff Watson of Northeast High School in St. Petersburg.

Centerpiece: The winning edible centerpiece by Evan Carpenterdeel of Tarpon Springs High School.

MEDIA CONTACT: James Raulerson, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
800-822-6461 or 727-464-7223; Fax 727-533-2192; jamesr@floridasbeach.com

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