Celebrity chef judges, pig roasts and picture perfect weather: this year’s Mystery Basket Competition had it all and more. The 4th annual all-day event was bigger and better than ever before with 38 teams from all over Texas competing for scholarship money to attend the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. This year’s featured guest, James Beard Award winning chef Curtis Duffy, was a fixture in the day’s festivities by providing chef demonstrations and words of wisdom to competing high school students. Of the 38 competing teams, six were finalists: Advanced Technology Complex (1st place), Foster High School (2nd place), North Shore Senior High School (3rd place), Taft High School (4th place), East View High School (5th place) and Sam Ryaburn High School (6th place).
The Mystery Basket Competition is an annual high school cooking contest. Competitors are given a basket of unknown ingredients they have to create a dish from in a set amount of time. Winners are chosen based on a number of factors including taste, texture and plating.
From left: Marcus McMellon, Austin campus President; Jack Larson, Chairman of Triumph Higher Education; Curtis Duffy, chef/owner of 3 Michelin starred restaurant Grace and James Beard Award winner.
