March 10 marked the occasion of 2018’s Chaine des Rotisseurs South Central Region Competition, as well as the first time a competitor from Myrtle Beach has won this event. International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach (ICI) student Jeremy Bishop took home the top honors. It was the 19-year-old’s first culinary competition, and he described the experience as one he will never forget.

“Winning this competition feels absolutely amazing. I went in to the competition not expecting to do well, only hoping to learn from it. When they announced that I won, my parents and I both started crying. It was a humbling experience, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” he said.

To prepare, Bishop spent weeks practicing in the kitchen, meeting with ICI chef instructor Bill Twaler at school every morning at 7 a.m. to practice before class, where Twaler offered both guidance and critique to help Bishop hone his skills.

“He’s brought me so far compared to where I started, and I could not have done this without him,” said Bishop.

This year’s event was hosted at ICI and featured chef competitors from culinary schools throughout the region, as well as from the Biltmore Estate. Each competitor prepared an appetizer, entree and dessert for a panel of judges, utilizing the school’s kitchen and the ingredients from a mystery black box. This was no easy feat, as the box contained wildly varied must-use ingredients—two whole ducks, scallops, country ham, two whole flounder, watermelon radish, fingerling sweet potatoes, quinoa, Brussels sprouts, blue cheese and various greens.

Bishop is a graduate of Early College High School and a recipient of Horry Georgetown Technical College’s Presidential Scholarship. He currently works at WaterScapes at the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes. At presstime, his next challenge was scheduled for May 19 when he competed in the Chaine des Rotisseurs National Competition in Charleston.

“I think this competition changed me for the better,” Bishop said. “My attitude toward cooking has made me cleaner, more organized and humbler.”