Picture the white-knuckle intensity of a televised cooking competition like Fox’s “ Hell’s Kitchen ” or “ MasterChef ” coupled with the inherent tension of adolescence, and you have a pretty good idea of what Mansfield students are stepping into this week when they head to the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, the preeminent championship for high school culinary teams in the U.S.
After finishing first in their events at the Texas ProStart Invitational in March, the Culinary Arts Team and the Restaurant Management Team from Mansfield’s Ben Barber Innovation Academy are returning to the national finals May 2 through May 4 to represent Texas, where — as in years past — they’re hoping to make a splash and earn a portion of the tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships that are up for grabs.
Since 2019, at least one team each year from the Ben Barber Innovation Academy, which offers career-prep courses for Mansfield high school students, has qualified for the National ProStart Invitational. Last year, the Culinary Arts Team finished fourth out of 48 schools. This year, they’re out to win the whole thing.
Between swigs of cold water in the team’s sweltering kitchen on the Ben Barber campus after a recent practice, student Kaden Walker said the group was confident…