Grammar School secures 2nd win in ECGC’s Home Economics Competition 2011

Shane Burgin of the St Vincent Grammar School defied critics and showed that last year’s victory by his school was no fluke when he won the 2011 East Caribbean Group Of Companies (ECGC) Home Economics Competition.{{more}}

Burgin got the judges’ approval with his ginger pumpkin bread, coconut chip pea rice and herbal garlic onion rings, to beat out Daniella Ballantyne of the St Clair Dacon Secondary School into second place and Teresa Hazel of the Thomas Saunders Secondary into third.

The fifth from student also copped the ‘Best Flour’ award and was judged the ‘Best Male Student’, an award that was introduced to encourage more male participation.

Ballantyne, to add to her second place finish, walked away with the ‘Best Specialty Flour’ award, and Kanille Brudy took the ‘Best Rice’ award to round up the special awards for dishes in the three categories.

Burgin later told SEARCHLIGHT that he was pleased with his performance.

“I didn’t even want to come into the competition, but my teacher encouraged me to,” Burgin said.

Cooking is something Burgin says he enjoys doing, adding that part of his future goals is to operate his own restaurant.

He offered some advice to younger boys, saying that working in the culinary industry is financially rewarding and that the majority of the renowned chefs around the world are in fact men.

“With this, there is nothing to be ashamed of,” Burgin contended.

Meanwhile, Ingrid Robinson, Education Officer in the area of Home Economics in the Ministry of Education, said that the competition was designed to stimulate interest in the culinary industry among students.

She further explained that the pressure of the food industry is everything but glamorous, and that the competition was also designed to test the students’ ability to stand up to these pressures.

It is, therefore, important for the Ministry of Education to continue to promote subject areas such as Home Economics and Food and Nutrition, Robinson contended.

Martin Laborde, Marketing and Personnel Manager of ECGC, although expressing some disappointment on the issue of time management, after the closing ceremony officially got underway almost an hour after its scheduled time, said that he was proud of the partnership that had been fostered through the sponsorship of the competition over the years.

“I thought about the benefits to students and I can’t imagine how many chefs would have some through this competition,” Laborde said. (DD)