KANSAS TEEN WINS THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHARLOTTE REGIONAL BEST TEEN CHEF COMPETITION

Matthew Buechele, 18, of Shawnee, Kansas, won the Gold Medal and a $3,000 scholarship at The Art Institute of Charlotte’s regional Best Teen Chef cook-off competition April 12.

Matt will compete May 17 for the national title of The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef 2008 and a full tuition scholarship to attend the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Charlotte.

He is the son of Bob and Darbie Buechele of Shawnee and will graduate in May from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. Matt works part-time at the Drum Room of the historic Hilton President in Kansas City. He has been cooking since he was 10 years old.

The second-place Silver Medal was won by Joshua Miller of Brevard, NC, a senior at Brevard Senior High School; Derek Burgholzer of Spencerport, NY, took home the Bronze (3rd place) Medal. He is a senior at Spencerport High School. The two won tuition scholarships of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.

Eight high school seniors competed for the regional title at The Art Institute of Charlotte. The seniors showed off their knife skills, then prepared a two-course meal. As first-place winner, Matt will join 19 other competitors in the national cook-off May 17, 2008, at The Art Institute of Las Vegas.

In addition to winning the scholarship and national title, The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef 2008 will spend a day as an intern at the Food Network.

This is the sixth year of the Best Teen Chef competition at The Art Institute of Charlotte.