Jr. SkillCenters introduces 4-H Jr. Grillers Program
By Mark Davis
mdavis@jrskillcenters.com
Jr. SkillCenters, a Tennessee non-profit organization that secures funding, implements and facilitates youth training programs will host the Cumberland County 4-H Outdoor Meat Cookery and Meat Judging curriculum in 2010. The Jr. Grillers program will expose youth from the 4th grade through the 12th grade to over 20 skill-sets that are commonly associated with the food service industry.
Each Jr. Griller will build an Aussie-style smoker, learn to blend spices, formulate marinades and sauces, along with the evaluation of retail cuts of meats. Once confident with the art of food prep and handling the grill, chefs will gain experience with open fire cooking procedures necessary to compete in regional events against other 4-Hers. Student chefs will also participate in caterings, cookouts, point-of-sale events for sponsors, and brand-building social marketing programs.
As an added twist, 10 of the senior high Jr. Grillers will compete in 10 Tennessee Kansas City Barbecue Society Barbecue cook-offs. The Jr. Grillers cooking team will be trained and cross-trained following the Brigade System of kitchen management and will concentrate on competition style recipes. Each cooking team member will fill dedicated positions that are standard in the professional cooking arena.
“We are setting-up a training lab that will be our Kitchen Central, where Jr. Grillers will meet weekly to practice their craft,” adds Jr. SkillCenter Director Mark Davis. “Our primary focus is the food industry as a whole — from marketing/social media to the hands-on skill-sets used in the food service world. It is an art to measure, mix, and blend your way to a successful brand. This is an aggressive goal, but we already have 50 kids ready to step up. We can’t wait for the cooking to begin,” Davis added.
For more information on the Jr. Grillers, check out www.jrgrillers.com or check us out on Facebook.
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