VERO BEACH—The Treasure Coast Foodie, a food and lifestyle blog and website, has presented a check for $1,200 to the Indian River State College Hospitality and Culinary Management Program toward a $15,000 endowment for student scholarships.
The funds were part of the net proceeds from the Treasure Coast Master Chef Competition promoted by the Treasure Coast Foodie and hosted by the College in March. Eight professional Treasure Coast chefs competed in a preliminary round on March 8, preparing small plates judged by a panel of industry experts.
Four chef finalists were supported by a team of IRSC culinary students for the competition’s final round on March 22. The masterfully created entrees were served by students to judges and guests in a seated dinner at IRSC’s Richardson Center. Dessert, which was not part of the competition, was provided by Cake and Crescent. Winners received Judges’ Choice and People’s Choice trophies.
“It’s been great to get chefs to collaborate, demonstrate camaraderie, and take students into a service learning environment,” said IRSC Culinary Management Instructor and Program Chair, Chef Deb Midkiff. “It’s also a great opportunity for chefs to see the quality of our program and our students.”
The donation from the Treasure Coast Foodie will supplement funds raised at other department program events to endow scholarships for IRSC hospitality and culinary program students, Midkiff said. Enrolled IRSC students who wish to apply for the scholarships should visit https://www.irscfoundation.org/.
“These events provide opportunities for students beyond what they’d experience in a traditional classroom,” said Dr. Suzanne Bagnera, IRSC Director of the Hospitality Institute. “Many of the chefs already made job offers to our students because they were literally able to see them in action. It was also great for our students to taste food from these chefs and have conversations with them about it.”
“IRSC has a fantastic facility here in Vero Beach,” said Thomas Miller, Editor-in-Chief of the Treasure Coast Foodie. “Partnering with them has been an amazing journey to bring this event to life.”
For more information about The Treasure Coast Foodie visit https://treasurecoastfoodie.com/