Gingerbread competition to highlight talents of Dining Services employees
December 2, 2013
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Wiley Dining Court food service workers work on their entry for Purdue Dining Services' second annual gingerbread construction contest. Contest entries will be on display at Purdue Memorial Union Dec. 3-6. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons) |
Gingerbread structures will deck the halls of Purdue Memorial Union from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6, displaying the talent of the Purdue Dining Services employees who are participating in the unit's second annual gingerbread construction contest.
This year, eight Dining Services facilities will participate in the contest, which coincides with Holidays at the Union, which runs Dec. 2-7. Earhart, Ford, Hillenbrand, Wiley and Windsor dining courts, the Central Production Kitchen, Athletic Dining Room and PMU Catering will each construct a gingerbread structure with a 40-by-48-inch base to be judged by a panel of University employees and students.
Dining staff began construction on the gingerbread structures Nov. 11. Each team received 15 sheets of gingerbread, a proven icing recipe and $250 for supplies. Each construction will be made of entirely edible products, although the food choices are not limited to sweets. At least half of the construction, design and structure of the gingerbread creation will be done by students working in these dining facilities.
Between 3 and 6 p.m. Dec. 3, the gingerbread structures will be transported to PMU, where they will be placed in the lounges adjacent to the Great Hall for judging. Structures will be judged based on overall appearance, originality and creativity, decorating detail, difficulty, staff participation and adherence to the "Santa's Workshop" theme.
"We decided to bring all the structures to PMU for judging because high traffic comes through this building, especially the first week of December because we have the tree coming in and the large gingerbread house will almost be done," says Bruce Haumesser, director of culinary operations and executive chef at PMU. "It really just fits into the spirit of the season."
Prizes will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners in the judges' choice category as well as a prize for the people's choice. The second- and third-place winners will receive ribbons. The contest winner will receive ribbons, a traveling trophy and a bowling and pizza party at PMU.
The people's choice winner will receive a traveling trophy. The general public will be able to vote for the people's choice winner from 9 a.m. Wednesday (Dec. 4) to noon Friday (Dec. 6) through QR codes at the Union, social media and a Qualtrics survey. Details will be available when voting starts Wednesday at ResLifeAtPurdue.com, Facebook (Facebook.com/PurdueMemorialUnion and Facebook.com/UniversityResidences), Twitter (@Purdueunion and @ResLifeAtPurdue), and on the Housing and Food Services and Purdue Memorial Union websites.
In 2012, Wiley Dining Court took home first place in the judge's choice category. Dennis Raney, production chef at Wiley Dining Court, says that the dining court became involved in the competition to boost morale among staff and student employees.
Raney says this year's team has an advantage in their ability to think outside the box.
"With winning first place in the judges' choice, we need to continue our abstract thought in order to hold an edge above the competition," Raney says. "Our student and full-time staff have the ideas needed to create a wonderful experience as well as a beautiful sculpture as a team."
The structures will be displayed in PMU until Dec. 6. At that time, the structures will be taken back to their respective facilities to be displayed.
Haumesser hopes this competition will help build stronger relationships between full-time staff and students.
"We would like it to be a fun thing for them, a team-building thing for them, to get to know their students, because they're family for as long as they work together," Haumesser says.
For more information about the contest or the display, contact Chef Bruce Haumesser at 49-48932 or bdhaumesser@purdue.edu.
Writer: Hannah Harper, harper4@purdue.edu