Houston Middle School Hosts “BurgerFest” in Food and Consumer Science Class

Houston Middle School’s Food and Consumer Science students got a delicious hands-on learning experience with their very own BurgerFest, hosted in Andrea Starks’s class. Inspired by the history of the hamburger and burger festivals across the country, students spent the week creating sauces, tasting local burgers, and competing in culinary challenges.

“We were reading a book called Chew on This that talked about burgers and how they’re made,” explained student Emerson McCann. “We realized that Hamburger Charlie, the original creator of burgers, was holding a festival in Wisconsin, and we missed the deadline. So we decided to make our own BurgerFest and just celebrate all the burgers in the world.”

Throughout the week, students worked in groups to make their own sauces, sampling combinations of ingredients and testing flavors to complement the burgers they tried. Local favorites from Forest Hill Grill and Belly Acres were brought in for tasting, with Forest Hill Grill earning top marks from the class.

Competition was part of the fun! Students earned points for each challenge, culminating in a BurgerFest champion. Student Alyson McGonagill emerged as the winner, earning the title of “Burger Queen” for her efforts. “The winner was me,” Alyson said modestly. “We had multiple competitions over the week, and at the end, I had the most points!”

For many students, the highlight was the hands-on creativity. “I liked experimenting with the ingredients. Making the sauces was probably my favorite part, and eating the burgers—trying the different types of burgers,” said student Haston Alley. 

BurgerFest wasn’t just a one-day event. The students were back at it, testing fries they made themselves in a continuation of the week-long culinary celebration. The success of the event has students already dreaming about future possibilities, even thinking about next doing a “PizzaFest.”

Ms. Starks’s BurgerFest offered more than a tasty reward. It combined learning about food history, experimenting with flavors, teamwork, and friendly competition, all while giving students a chance to explore their culinary creativity. Students left with new skills, and a little extra motivation to keep cooking.