For Autumn Wartman, it was like being in a realty TV cooking show. She stood in front of a panel of judges and explained what she planned to bake, mixing ingredients together while discussing each of their functions within her choux pastry recipe. With a 30-minute time limit, Wartman “cooked” the French pastries by swapping out a tray of raw, piped dough for already-baked cream puffs, eclairs and crullers.
The experience at the Skills Canada National Competition, which took place in Quebec City on May 30 and 31, was the culmination of a year-long learning process for Wartman, who just completed her Grade 11 year. After taking gold at the provincial competition last month in the job skill demonstration category, the Greater Fort Erie Secondary School student earned a bronze medal at the national level — one of the 38 medals won by the Ontario team. Wartman did not have high expectations heading into the national competition — it was a quick turnaround, with only 20 days between the two events — and was just excited to have an opportunity to compete.
“As I watched all the presentations at nationals, I knew that everyone was amazing and I was just unsure of what I would place — so when I got bronze, I was just absolutely thrilled. I was so happy,” she said. “Seeing the people who got gold and silver, it just made sense because they did have such amazing presentations and they absolutely deserved it.
” Before Wartman’s high school hospitality and tourism teac.
