Creative Competition is Full Steam Ahead for College of Culinary Arts Students
Holiday Tree Courtesy of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
PHOENIX – (Oct. 25, 2013) – Each year, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel holds a gingerbread house competition set to various Christmas story themes where elaborately decorated edible creations are displayed in the hotel’s Park Lounge lobby throughout the Holiday Season. This year’s gingerbread house theme takes inspiration from the movie, “The Polar Express,” where a young boy boards a powerful and magical train to visit Santa Claus in the North Pole.
For the second year in a row, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel will partner with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts to give students a chance to creatively showcase their talents and win a monetary scholarship donation to their Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts tuition and/or supplies.
“Aligning with Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts for this creative competition just makes sense,” said Pastry Chef Winnona Herr, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. “Last year’s partnership with the school was successful, so we decided to proceed again this year. The competition provides students with a hands-on, fun and interactive opportunity to show off their skills, which could result in a tuition scholarship.”
Students are challenged to create gingerbread houses constructed and composed completely of edible materials and erected on a board that measures 24 inches high, 18 inches wide, and 24 inches long. The main structure will be constructed primarily of gingerbread and must be to the theme of “The Polar Express.” Any entry with non-edible components will be automatically disqualified.
The first round of judging takes place at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in mid-November 2013. Finalists are awarded the opportunity to have their gingerbread houses on display at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel throughout the 2013 Holiday Season where the final judging occurs. All entries will be judged in five categories: 1.) Overall appearance; 2.) Originality and creativity; 3.) Difficulty; 4.) Precision; and 5.) Consistency of theme.
Train in Gingerbread Village Courtesy of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Prizes will be awarded for the top three competitors through a scholarship donation to their Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts tuition and/or supplies in the following amounts: First place is $1,000; Second place is $500; Third place is $250.
Locals and travelers alike will have the opportunity to view the final selections at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel in the hotel’s Park Lounge from November 29, 2013, through the end of the year.
For more about Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel’s Gingerbread House Competition visit www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com/gingerbread or www.facebook.com/SheratonPhxDowntown.
About Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts
In 1999, Le Cordon Bleu North America arrived in the United States. Its partnership with Scottsdale Culinary Institute (SCI) combined classical French cooking techniques with modern American technology. This union has ushered in a new era of culinary arts around the world. On August 17, 2009, SCI started the distance education delivery method of the Bachelors of Arts in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Management. On November 1, 2009, SCI received State and accreditation approval to change its name to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
Upper Train in Gingerbread Village Courtesy of Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel
Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) is one of the largest providers of quality culinary arts education worldwide. Our network of 17 schools in the United States offers culinary students a hands-on education with faculty dedicated to providing students with the necessary skills, knowledge, support and guidance to pursue fulfilling career opportunities in the culinary arts. LCB does not guarantee employment or salary and is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools.
About Sheraton Phoenix Downtown
Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel opened on September 30, 2008, as the largest hotel in Arizona with 1,000 guestrooms. The hotel features signature services and amenities such as Sheraton Fitness® powered by Core Performance, the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper™ Bed and the Link@Sheraton experienced by Microsoft®. Set in an urban oasis, the hotel offers guests a 4,500-square-foot outdoor pool and sundeck with an adjacent rooftop herb garden. The hotel provides more than 80,000 square feet of flexible, state-of-the-art meeting space and a restaurant, District American Kitchen & Wine Bar, with bar and lounge. It is located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix and adjacent the Phoenix Convention Center. For additional information or for reservations, please visit www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com.
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