The Culinary & Cocktail Clash

15 Years of Impact

The Culinary + Cocktail Clash is where creativity, competition, and mentorship come together for a great cause.

In the Culinary Clash, restaurant leaders are paired with talented ProStart student sous chefs for a two-month mentorship experience. Together, they develop an original menu item using required ingredients, then bring their creation to life at a high-energy tasting event.

Meanwhile, the Cocktail Clash showcases the artistry of the bar, with restaurant teams crafting signature cocktails that compete for attendees’ votes and bragging rights.

Over the past 15 years, Culinary + Cocktail Clash has raised more than $1.1 million to fund enrichment opportunities for culinary arts students in California public high schools! 

Learning from the Pros

The heart of the Culinary Clash is mentorship. ProStart students are paired with restaurant executives for a two-month collaboration to create an original menu item and prepare hundreds of samples for the tasting event.

This year’s Mentor of the Year Award went to the team at The Cheesecake Factory. Their student sous chef, Evelyn from Pacifica High School, worked in the company’s R&D kitchens, toured the famous bakery facility, met with executives, and gained invaluable industry experience. The mentorship was such a success that the team offered Evelyn a job!

Cheers to all of our Clash teams for creating powerful experiences for our ProStart students!