2024 Event Info
Awards
The following honors will be given in the Morning and Afternoon Award Ceremonies for each age category:
- CROWD-PLEASER — This award goes to the team that best incorporates color, texture, and taste for a true crowd-pleaser.
- LIVELY LOCAL — This award goes to the team that best highlights Vermont foods.
- MISE EN PLACE — (“Everything in its place”) This award goes to the team that shows exemplary teamwork, order, and professionalism.
Judging Criteria
- EXECUTION — Clean and presentable uniforms including hard-soled shoes, hats, aprons, and safe food handling practices.
- TEAMWORK — Evenly distributed workload, team cohesiveness & communication.
- TASTE — Subjective category based on judge’s expertise.
- CREATIVITY — Ingenuity of the ingredients used, creative use of ingredients.
- LOCAL — Recipe highlights local, seasonal products (only for the Lively Local Award).
- COMPLIANCE — Meets all Jr. Iron Chef VT Guidelines and Rules.
Each year, we are fortunate to have volunteer judges from around Vermont that have a wide range of culinary and food expertise.
2023’s Judges
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Jr Iron Chef VT Coordinator Kerrie Mathes.
About
Jr Iron Chef VT is a career exploration program and competition that teaches communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills by empowering Vermont youth to create locally sourced meals that promote Vermont’s Farm to School efforts.
“Because of Jr Iron Chef, I know how to be a good leader.”
Jr Iron Chef VT launched in 2008 as a collaborative effort between two leaders in the Farm to School movement, the Burlington School Food Project and Vermont FEED. In 2022, Vermont Afterschool assumed management of the program and competition.
In 2023, we celebrated our 15th year and the more than 5,000 Vermont middle and high school students who have participated in this groundbreaking culinary program. Not only have students learned how to create and prepare recipes from scratch, they’ve also learned about local agriculture and nutrition while establishing relationships with peers, chefs, mentors, and local farmers. They’ve developed confidence and learned teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. Perhaps the best thing of all about Jr. Iron Chef VT is how it unifies people. Regardless of other differences, these Vermont youth stand side-by-side for one day in March and participate in an orchestrated frenzy – dicing, grating, and sautéing their way to culinary fame.
School food change takes many players—students, food service, parents, and the community. Jr Iron Chef VT involves all of these players to create a vibrant, fun, and wildly popular event!
Preparations are well underway for the next Jr Iron Chef VT competition. In some districts, Jr Iron Chef VT has become so popular that qualifying competitions are held in the fall to determine who will be among the almost 300 students on the 70 teams participating in our statewide event. Our organizing committee is busy reaching out to new schools, selecting judges, and brainstorming the next great event. We are soliciting financial support to help us usher Jr Iron Chef VT into its second decade.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Jr Iron Chef VT Coordinator Kerrie Mathes.
For more photos and a list of winners and recipes from previous years, visit our please visit our Jr Iron Chef VT archive.
Your Support Makes Jr Iron Chef VT Possible.
Vermont Afterschool, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and contributions are tax deductible. Your gift supports our efforts to increase the quality of and access to afterschool and summer programs in Vermont, as well as to empower youth.
2023 Jr Iron Chef VT was Made Possible by Generous Support from:
executive Chefs ($5000+)
Sous Chefs ($1000+)
