Wren Student Named Best Teen Chef

Thirteen aspiring chefs with a craving for culinary put their kitchen skills to the test as they competed for tuition scholarships on Saturday, March 8, at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Charleston, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta. At the end of the day, two finalists stood triumphant.

Vanessa Anne Matonis from Wren High School in Piedmont, South Carolina took a gold medal and first place, and Breannah Nicole Newton from Cross Creek High School in Augusta, Georgia took a silver medal and second in The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef Competition for high school seniors.

“I’ve always loved food – coming from a big Italian family, I love being in the kitchen," Matonis said. "I make a great grilled chicken salad and believe in the importance of a healthy diet. My goal is to perfect my culinary skills while in school and am open to different career paths; I think the journey of discovery will be extremely important.”

During the cook-off competition, the finalists were asked to showcase their talent and skill by preparing and serving a two-course meal in just two hours. The meal consisted of an appetizer of Shrimp Cocktail and an entrée of Sautéed Chicken Breast with Creative Garnish, Rice Pilaf and Broccoli Sauté.
Competitors were judged on five technical skills including knife skills, safety, sanitation, organization, cooking techniques, and clean-up, and five qualities of the finished dishes – temperature, taste, texture, portion size and presentation.

Vanessa Anne Matonis will earn a $4,000 tuition scholarship, Breannah Nicole Newton, a $1,000 tuition scholarship to The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Charleston.

“Despite the stiff competition, our winners this year truly stood out,”  said Chef Dillon Snider, Academic Director of Culinary programs at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Charleston. “Their passion and enthusiasm for the culinary arts is inspiring and we look forward to developing their talent in our culinary education programs.”

Cook-off competitions are being held at all participating International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes locations across the U.S. and Canada in March.

In addition to earning their scholarship awards, all local Best Teen Chef first place winners will have the opportunity to win a trip to New York City for a very special food experience. National judges will evaluate the materials they submitted to enter the competition and select one national winner.

For more information, visit www.aicompetitions.com/culinary or contact The Art Institute of Charleston at 866.211.0107 or email aicscadm@aii.edu.
The Art Institute of Charleston, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, is located at 24 North Market Street, Charleston, SC 29401. For information, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/charleston, call 866.211.0107 or email aicscadm@aii.edu.