For Chelsea Delorme, the sound of school bells means it’s time to sharpen her knives.
Amid sparkling metal appliances and clean countertops, she has been preparing the meals that feed hungry high school students at Northlands Parkway Collegiate (NPC) for the past three years.
A smooth operation
Delorme is the culinary arts production chef at the Winkler high school.
Each day, she and her team of volunteers cook approximately 80-150 meals to stock the school’s cafeteria.
On September 3rd, the first day of school, however, Delorme worked with a skeleton crew to create the year’s inaugural lunch.
“I'll probably be having volunteers later next week once students kind of figure out their schedules,” she said.
What’s for lunch?
For Delorme, even without her volunteers, the first day of classes meant a flavourful favourite — butter chicken.
According to the chef, from cooking and cutting a large portion of chicken to working on the fragrant sauce and making the rice, the project required the whole morning to prepare.
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Unsurprisingly, Delorme reported that she didn’t expect many leftovers from the popular dish.
The chef added, however, that leftovers are sometimes repurposed into soup or sold to staff.
Off to a good start
With the first day of school under her belt, Delorme will continue providing food to the school for the remainder of the school year.
She enjoys the responsibility.
“I love it,” she said. “I wouldn't change it for anything.”
For a glimpse into the process of Delorme’s first day, see the video with Alexander Peters below.
With files from Alexander Peters