The smell of freshly baked goods filled the halls Friday, October 25th as the culinary arts program presented their 14th Annual Bulldog Bakery.
Students were inspired and pleased with not only the preparation but also the results of the sale.
“The week we spent baking in the kitchen was probably the most exciting and high energized week ever. It looked like a real commercial kitchen and everyone in culinary was so proud of what they made that they ran around school telling everyone to come and buy it,” junior Katelyn Ruel said. “The whole thing was a little stressful putting together but I wouldn’t mind doing it all over again.”
The culinary arts program sold out of all of their baked goods and made over $2,000.
“Our first bakery and luncheon was a success. It took a lot of focus, technique, and knowledge. For our bakery we made about 150-200 cookies and bars, which took all week to do,” junior Ciara Ruiz said.
Despite the stressful week-long preparations, students found that there were more rewards than just finishing on time.
“We started baking at the beginning of the week to make sure that everything would be done in time for the sale. It was really exciting for me because I personally like baking and seeing the reactions of customers on our pastries felt good because I felt like the class and I did well,” senior Elena Granados said.
Chef Richard Winemiller designs his program in a way that the students learn more than just about how to bake.
“Besides teaching the basics of baking, the lesson is about learning time management skills, and how to work in large quantities. A lot of people have made a little batch of cookies but actually scaling that out and using your resources is a big part of the lesson,” Winemiller said. “Every second counts.”
The bake sale is only one of the many successes of the culinary program. Upon drawing attention from the outside community, the students came together to cater an awards ceremony for Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer water conversation on Nov. 9 in the southwest room of “F” hall.
Regardless of what these chefs-in-wating set their minds to, they strive to work hard in bettering their skills as they work together.
“When times get hard we all come together and help as much as we can. We all have strengths and weaknesses but don’t ever make each other feel less than the other. We better ourselves and teach one another,” Ruiz said.