congratulations to all of the 2022 Jr. Iron Chef VT teams and thank you for a great competition!
Event Info
- 11-16-21: Early Bird registration opens ($130/team)
- 12-17-21: Regular registration opens, early bird closes ($150/team)
- 02-04-22: Registration closes
- 02-17-22: Recipe, Team Member Parent Permission submission deadline
- 03-06-22: Lively Local (if applicable) submission deadline
Our event will look a bit different this year as safety is a top priority:
- There will be NO public spectators for the event this year. Each team member is allowed to bring one family member/guest only to the event, free admission.
- Each team spectator group will have its own table to watch the event.
- There will be no concessions this year. Please click here for a list of nearby restaurants.
- The schedule of the day has been adjusted to ensure the morning heat teams, and the afternoon heat teams are not in the building at the same time.
- There will be a Jr. Iron Chef VT merchandise table.
We continue to work with the Vermont Department of Health concerning COVID-19 in our community as we get close to our in-person event.
- For everyone’s safety, we require everyone in attendance to wear a mask. We will provide KN95 masks (or similar) for all participants and attendees. Coaches are asked to email jrironchefvt@nullvermontafterschool.org to tell us the number of kid/adult-sized masks needed for your team, including all participants and the coach.
- We will provide all team members with non-latex gloves to prepare food.
- We urge everyone to have their up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours before attending the event.
- We ask that every participant and attendee take a rapid antigen test on the morning of the event. Please reach out to your school/organization to request tests for your team. Here are links that provide free state-sponsored antigen tests and free federal-sponsored tests by mail (7-14 days, plan ahead).
- Following CDC guidelines, people may not attend if they have currently tested positive for COVID-19, are waiting for COVID-19 test results, have COVID-19 symptoms, or have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for or who has symptoms of COVID-19. If you have recently had COVID, we ask that you have two negative antigen tests 24 hours apart, prior to the event.
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.
This Year’s Judges
During the event weekend of the event, dozens of volunteers help with set-up, team registration, activities, and clean-up. Volunteers receive free admission to the Jr. Iron Chef VT competition.
If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Jr. Iron Chef VT Coordinator Kerrie Mathes.
Team Info
If you have any additional questions, please contact Jr. Iron Chef VT Coordinator Kerrie Mathes.
- EXECUTION — clean and presentable uniforms including hard-soled shoes, hats, aprons, and safe food handling practices
- TEAMWORK — evenly distributed workload, team cohesiveness, and communication
- TASTE — a 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
Including a professional chef on your team can help in a lot of ways. First, your chef probably has some great ideas for recipes using local ingredients, plus s/he can help you make sure your dishes come out just like you hope. Also, getting to know a chef can be a fun way to connect with a local restaurant. So, where can you find a chef to join your team?
Think about what your favorite restaurants are; do they have a chef who could help? If you don’t have a favorite restaurant, you might find a restaurant that is a member of the Vermont Fresh Network (VFN). To be part of the Vermont Fresh Network, chefs promise to buy ingredients from local farmers. That is a bonus to your team since these are chefs already committed to using local ingredients. You can also consider asking one of the cooks from your school cafeteria if they could help you. They know a lot about cooking food that kids love and might have some secret recipes that are sure to win the competition. Once you have found chefs that you are interested in, you should write them a letter or call them on the phone to explain what Jr. Iron Chef VT is and why you want their help. If you are calling, avoid calling right at lunch or dinner time when the chefs are super busy.
There will be no concession stand this year. Click here for a list of nearby restaurants.
Congratulations to the 2022 Jr. Iron Chef VT award-winning teams:
High School
Lively Local
Team: Turnip the heat and get with the Beat
School: Burlington High school/Tech center
Recipe: Vermont Global Fusion
Crowd Pleaser
Team: CVU Chefhawks #1
School: Champlain Valley Union High
Recipe: Everything but the Garden Bed
Mise en Place
Team: The Smoke Daddies
School: Bellows Falls High School
Recipe: Portobello Katsu, Sweet Potato Curry, Coconut Rice
Middle School
Lively Local
Team: Milton Team Cuisine
School: Milton Town School District
Recipe: Veggie Sliders on Polenta w/ Maple Dijon Sauce
Crowd Pleaser
Team: Whisks and Rewards
School: Hunt Middle School
Recipe: Green Mountains Meet the Mediterranean
Mise en Place
Team: The Starry Knives
School: Lake Champlain Waldorf School
Recipe: Breakfast Crepes with Eggs, Spinach, and Cheddar
Stay tuned for a list of winning teams from previous years.
Sponsor Info
Everywhere my students turn they’re being tempted to distract themselves, hate themselves, and tune out. To empower them, I need an arena in which I can coach them in taking healthy risks. Jr. Iron Chef VT allows my kids the opportunity to tune into their strengths, their culture, their choices. I take kids to the competition who don’t excel in the classroom—some of them have multiple detentions a week—and sure enough, they are fabulous, dedicated chefs. They don’t have the opportunities or resources that other kids have, and while that presents very real challenges in their lives, it doesn’t need to define their potential. Megan Stotko, Albany Wolf Pack CoachPreparations are well underway: 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-plus teams participating in our statewide event. Our organizing committee is busy reaching out to new schools, selecting judges, and brainstorming an epic birthday celebration. We are soliciting financial support to help us usher Jr. Iron Chef VT into its second decade. Our cost for hosting one team is $500. If the registration fee accurately reflected this cost, most teams would not be able to participate. Instead we charge between $130 to $150, offer scholarships, and subsidize the remainder with the generous support of our sponsors, keeping Jr. Iron Chef VT accessible to all. Please join us in changing the lives of young Vermonters by supporting Jr. Iron Chef VT today. Thank you!
After donating, please email Kerrie Matthes to ensure your name is listed on our website and in the event program.
About
Jr. Iron Chef VT is a premiere statewide culinary competition organized by Vermont Afterschool and Vermont FEED (Food Education Everyday) for teams of Vermont students who create healthy dishes with local and seasonal foods that inspire their school meal programs as part of the Farm to School efforts in Vermont.
“Because of Jr. Iron Chef, I know how to be a good leader.“
Since 2008, nearly 5,000 Vermont middle and high school students have participated in Jr. Iron Chef VT. Along the way, they’ve not only created and prepared recipes from scratch, they’ve learned about local agriculture and nutrition, established relationships with peers, chefs, and local farmers, developed confidence, and honed teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.
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!
