Invitationals
Annual State Invitational
ProStart students are given the opportunity to put their skills to the ultimate test by participating in the NH ProStart State Invitational, which is held annually in the spring. During this intense culinary competition, participating teams demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, using only two butane burners, and all without access to running water or electricity. There is no room for error as the teams are evaluated on taste, skill, teamwork, safety and sanitation! During the Restaurant Management competition, students will design their own restaurant in ProStartville and present to a group of judges on their concept, menu and costing, marketing, critical thinking, and operations. At both the state and national level, students compete to win various scholarships, with the winning team moving forward to represent New Hampshire at the National ProStart Invitational.
New Hampshire ProStart State Invitational
March 2, 2027 (Snow Date March 3, 2027)
National ProStart Invitational
April 24-25, 2027
2026 ProStart Invitational Winners
Culinary:
1st Place - Pinkerton Academy
2nd Place - Mount Washington Valley Career & Technical Center
3rd Place - Plymouth Regional High School
Communication - Pinkerton Academy
Knife Skills - Dover Regional Career Technical Center
Safety & Sanitation - White Mountains Regional High School
Team Manager - Emree, White Mountains Regional High School
Management:
First Place - Pinkerton Academy
Second Place - White Mountains Regional High School
Third Place - J. Olivia Huot Technical Center
Creativity - Pinkerton Academy
Critical Thinking - Kyle, J. Olivia Huot Technical Center
Presentation Skills - Mollie, Pinkerton Academy
Thank You to Our Sponsors
The New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation proudly recognizes and thanks the outstanding sponsors who helped make the 2026 New Hampshire ProStart State Invitational an incredible success.
We are thrilled to celebrate 110 Grill as our Presenting Sponsor, whose leadership support helped elevate this year’s event. Our Main Event Sponsors — Gordon Food Service, Performance Food Group, and US Foods — continue to demonstrate their commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality professionals.
Additional sponsors made this event even more memorable: Café Services (Aprons & Beanies Sponsor), American Culinary Federation White Mountain Chapter (All the Fixings Sponsor), The Flatbread Company (Team Pride Sponsor), The Common Man Family (Slice of Pie Sponsor), Granite Edvance (Team Sponsor), Duprey Hospitality (Event Sponsor), Sysco Northeast (Lunch Sponsor), and Zwilling (Knife Sponsor).
A special thank you goes to Heron Point Seafood, our Nationals Sponsor, whose generous support ensures New Hampshire students have the opportunity to compete at the national level, showcasing their talent on a larger stage and representing our state with pride.
Thanks to all of our sponsors, students across New Hampshire are gaining hands-on experience, earning scholarships, building industry connections, and stepping confidently into careers in hospitality. Your support is shaping the future of our workforce — and our industry is stronger because of it.
