Jared Konkle: Ontario Skills Culinary First Place Winner

Written by: Clara Schiedel

This past May, grade twelve student Jared Konkle competed in the Ontario Skills Cooking Competition in Toronto, and walked away with a gold medal. This was a competition for secondary and post-secondary students interested in culinary arts. 

Jared first started cooking through helping out his family in the kitchen doing little tasks like peeling and stirring. That eventually turned into full meals as he learned he really enjoyed it.

The competition was first recommended to him by Ms. Singh and Ms. Phounsavath last year. He told The Edge that for that first competition, he practiced a bit, and made it to regionals, but he only got fourth place. This year, he entered again and won first place in the province! Jared was perseverant, never giving up. 

After winning gold this spring, Jared selflessly gave up his place in the national competition to the second place winner because of scheduling issues.

Jared informed The Edge that the Ontario Skills Cooking Competition is set up like a cooking show with stations for each of the contestants. They are all given the materials and ingredients to succeed, except for the cooking implements they might want to have. 

Each contestant is expected to cook three courses. The dishes are predetermined, but the contestants may take creative liberties to change or add whatever they please to make their food stand out against the rest. 

For his appetizer, Jared made potato and cheese filled perogies, along with lemon chive sour cream, and caramelized onions. His main dish was a mushroom and spinach stuffed chicken breast sitting on mashed potatoes, honey garlic zucchini, and carrots with veloute sauce to go with it. Dessert was a tea biscuit with chantilly cream and blueberry coulis with a candied pear topping to finish it all off. 

His advice to young chefs is to “Just cook. The more food you make and the more times you make it, the better it will be.” 

In the fall, Jared will be attending Conestoga College for culinary management. He mentioned, “I realized I liked cooking, so why not get paid for doing it.”

If you are a cook just starting out, don’t give up and go for it. There are opportunities for students just like you, right here in Ontario. Follow your interests and you just might end up with an acceptance from the program you desire.