MAVA Colleagues,
We are pleased to recognize Taunton High Schools Culinary Arts program and students.
Congratulations to the students and staff involved!
David
Taunton High’s new food truck roars into town. Where to find it, what’s on menu and more
Daniel Schemer The Taunton Daily Gazette
TAUNTON Taunton High School Senior Brandon Molina is enjoying his time on the schools new food truck, the Tiger Truck.
In the parking lot of Bristol County Savings Bank on County Street, he and the rest of his four-person team were making smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and fries for hungry patrons at the Tiger Trucks official launch event on Friday, Jan. 17.
With this, I feel confident that, whenever I walk into a kitchen, I can handle myself, he said, adding the real, in-depth experience inside the food truck has him interested in continuing down the culinary path when he graduates.
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Same with fellow senior Jehieliz Villegas who has liked interacting with the customers," cooking lunch in the truck, and experiencing the stress and customer reactions that come from the lunch food rush. She adds that, for her, working the truck is about trying to take away life lessons, like how to cook.
The Tiger Truck is a new extension of the high schools culinary arts program, which is incorporated into its career technical education (CTE) program. Molina and Villegas are doing their internships with the Tiger Truck.
Its a great opportunity for students to learn a new skills set, give back to their community, be out in the community, and benefit if thinking of being an entrepreneur, said Darla Hartung, co-director of the CTE program.
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Food truck seen around town
Since November of last year, patrons have seen the Tiger Truck out in Taunton, practicing food operations. The Truck has occasionally been seen serving food on the Taunton Green, as well as in attendance for city events, like the Lights On Festival and the Winter Wonderland event series.
Co-Director of the CTE Program Michael Raposa said the truck is always staffed by one teacher, one CTE tutor, and two culinary arts students. In addition to practicing food operations before they go out into the field, Raposa said menu development happens weekly.
Raposa said the schedule has been inconsistent with the Tiger Truck due to winter weather.
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Where can I find Taunton High food truck?
Raposa said come spring, or when it gets warmer, the intention is to have the Tiger Truck operating in the city on a regular basis, around three to four days a week.
The intention, he said, is to have its operations match the schedule with the Tiger Den Cafe which will be reopening soon, having been closed since last summer while its commercial kitchen space has undergone renovations.
The Tiger Trucks schedule, as in hours and locations, will be made available through its social media and website.
Raposa also said the intention is to have the Tiger Truck available for events booking and catering.
<![if !vml]><![endif]>Expansion of Taunton High culinary program
Plans for incorporating a food truck into the high school’s culinary arts program commenced in fall November 2022 with a $75,000 donation from Bristol County Savings Bank. Besides a new food truck, the money was also used to create an outdoor seating area for the high schools Tiger Den Cafe/span>, a student-run cafeand kitchen, part of the culinary arts program, that is open to the public to dine.
Superintendent John Cabral told the Gazette the district matched the $75,000 donation through federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) funds the district still had, for a total of $150,000 going toward expanding the culinary arts program to $150,000.
Said Superintendent Cabral: Im really proud of our students, and Im proud of our Culinary Program and Taunton High School for providing our students with this real-world application in the food services industry.
David J. Ferreira
MAVA Communications Coordinator
DavidFerreira
