And They’re Off!
The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is a unique experience from any perspective.
For me, it has been a culinary perspective. This year was my second year venturing out to Louisville, Kentucky, along with other Penn College students who helped feed thousands of mouths. While many of us think of the Kentucky Derby to be one race on one day, it actually includes many events throughout the week.
Both years I’ve gone to work, it has fallen on the same week as our finals week. This means if we want to go, we must finish all of our projects and finals early. While this is a very difficult task, many students agree that it feels good to be done early. After all our schoolwork is done, all we have to worry about doing is work, work and more work.
On Monday, we load a charter bus with luggage and leave early in the morning. The long bus ride ends around 6 o’clock in the evening. We all unpack the bus, check in and have a short meeting with the executive chef of Churchill Downs. At the meeting we share pizza, go over some rules and receive bus schedules. School busses transport us from the hotel to Churchill Downs and back for work every day.
There are many kitchens within Churchill Downs, so we are all assigned specific areas for the week. My first year, I was assigned to the main kitchen, and my second year, I was in the Turf Club.
When I worked in the main kitchen, I participated in some of the biggest projects on the entire property. Some tasks included: cooking bacon for hours, cutting pallets of carrots, preparing thousands of pounds of pot roast, roasting pork loins and New York strips, assembling hundreds of sandwiches, pickling watermelon, and filling lots of hot boxes. One day, we cut 833 pounds of baby carrots and tossed them in olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. That task alone took about six hours for three students to tackle. The days get longer as the week goes on. If I remember correctly, 12 hours seemed to be my shortest workday.
This year, working in the Turf Club kitchen, was different, yet very similar at the same time. It was the same with long days of work and mountains of prep. It was different because it was a VIP section, where al a carte dishes were offered. It was very interesting to see mass production of individual dishes that were made for specific tables to order. With a team, I helped complete tasks such as cutting nine cases of fingerling potatoes, slicing hundreds of Brussels sprouts, dicing squash, opening and arranging salmon fillets, roasting vegetables, and filling chef tables. The last two days, I worked with two other Penn College students, and we were in charge of plating the salad platters. On these days, we pre-plated specific components of the dishes ahead of time. We set up over 200 of each platter and continued to make more to order when we ran out of setups. Some of these cold salad platters included: a burrata melon salad; arugula tomato and beef tenderloin salad; seafood pupu platter; and asparagus and prosciutto salad. This was my favorite part because we were slammed for hours!
Overall, working at the Kentucky Derby was an insane, amazing, life-changing experience.
This short blurb doesn’t even begin to explain what the literal tons of food looks like. The amount of staff that gets together for this event is beyond outstanding, and it takes a true team effort to make it happen. As students, we are lucky to have the opportunity to work this event, and I’m grateful I experienced it!
Share
Author

R. Colby Janowitz
Colby is a business and hospitality student who joined 24 other Penn College students – and faculty member Charles R. Niedermyer in the kitchens of Churchill Downs.
Recent Posts
Scholarship Opens Opportunities
By Sydney Telesky, November 12, 2021
Outdoor Recreation Inspires Leadership
By Colin Browne, November 12, 2021
Eight tips to the best college visit
By Maddie Metzger, June 3, 2021
Inspired by Donor Support
By Mary Watts, November 12, 2020
Post by:

R. Colby Janowitz
Colby is a business and hospitality student who joined 24 other Penn College students – and faculty member Charles R. Niedermyer in the kitchens of Churchill Downs.
You must login to post a comment.
Or Login below:
Penn College welcomes comments that are on topic and civil. Read our full disclaimer.
Related Stories
Scholarship Opens Opportunities
By Sydney Telesky, November 12, 2021
I never thought of coming to Penn College to further my education. Growing up, I wanted a different experience than my father, who attended school here.
Education, human services and restorative justice, Inspiration, People, Scholarships
grateful, opportunity, scholarship
Outdoor Recreation Inspires Leadership
By Colin Browne, November 12, 2021
My name is Colin. I am a junior here at Penn College. I was born and raised in New York City and moved to Pennsylvania in the eighth grade.
Community, Education, human services and restorative justice, People
grateful, leadership, opportunities, outdoor learning, philanthropy
Transferring tips for smooth sailing
By Maddie Metzger, October 14, 2021
We know there are a million reasons why you might decide to transfer colleges; maybe the program isn’t what you imagined, the drive home is farther than you remembered it or your financial situation has changed.
College Admissions Process, Education
transfer, transfer student
The missing piece to your skills gap puzzle
By Chris Ray, June 23, 2021
Apprenticeships are an excellent and sustainable training solution to skills gap issues.
Education, Industry, Workforce Development
apprenticeship, employee training, modular apprenticeships
Eight tips to the best college visit
By Maddie Metzger, June 3, 2021
Visits to campus can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the college search. During your trip, you’ll get to see campus and immerse yourself in the school’s culture for the day.
College Admissions Process, Community, Education, Student Life
best college visit, college search, college tour, college visit, college visit tips
Inspired by Donor Support
By Mary Watts, November 12, 2020
Mary Watts is a senior at Pennsylvania College of Technology, majoring in Information Assurance & Cyber Security. She is vice president of the ISA organization on campus. When Mary isn’t busy in class or working as a student college relations assistant, she enjoys relaxing at home and spending time with her family.
Cyber Security, People, Student Life
Transforming Tomorrow Together
Home-field advantages
By Tiffany Brown, November 26, 2019
Reflecting upon the growth of Wildcat Athletics since my freshman year (2016), I am extremely thankful for each member of the athletic department for their constant support on and off the field.
Final Thoughts
By Sapphire, December 1, 2017
When finals are impending, what do you do? Get study tips from the experts.