Culinary Students Tops at State

Nicolet Culinary students earn
top honors at state competition

Culinary Arts students from Nicolet College swept the top three spots at a recent statewide culinary competition – a feat a single college has not accomplished in recent memory.

Nicolet College Culinary Arts Students winning high honors at the recent Wisconsin Restaurant Association competition include, left to right, Brice Ruppert, Woodruff, and Rhinelander residents Ellen White, Anna Marie Stack, and Michael Edlund.

“I know I've never heard of it before,” said Vicki Mendham, who has taught Culinary Arts at Nicolet for 12 years and took the students to the Milwaukee competition. “This is a great accomplishment and one the students definitely deserve. They did a great job.”

At the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Student Culinary Competition, Ellen White took top honors followed closely in second by Michael Edlund, who narrowly edged out Brice Ruppert in third place. White and Edlund also earned gold medals, the only ones awarded at the competition. Ruppert was awarded a silver medal and Nicolet Culinary student Anna Marie Stack won a bronze medal.

The students competed in the cold plate division, and were judged by professional chefs on their plates' appearance, presentation and creativity as well as the quality of their recipe cards and accuracy of projecting food costs.