Ocean County Vocational Technical School student wins top award at Dessert Wars competition

At Branches restaurant in West Long Branch, New Jersey on May 24, OCVTS student Ashley Johnson received the Top Student Award at the Dessert Wars competition. Johnson assisted team coach, OCVTS pastry arts instructor, chef Dennis Melia, in creating the sugar show piece for the event. Chef Joe, basic foods instructor, Barry Ward, an adult evening school student, and Johnson worked long hours after school to learn the basics of sugar with chef Melia.

Melia says, "The techniques that I shared with my students were the result of the great masters classes that the French Pastry School provided for culinary instructors at the FENI Summit in February in Chicago. All of the students involved worked really hard and prepared desserts, artisan chocolates and petit fours for a thousand guests."

The proceeds were donated to the The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The event was sponsored by 94.3 the Point radio station.