Latrobe teen stirs up success in culinary competition

Asher Jaffre is no slouch in the kitchen, and he comes by it honestly. His parents own two — soon to be three — Jaffre’s restaurants in Westmoreland County.

“My dad got me into cooking,” said Jaffre, 17, of Latrobe. “I used to help him bread zucchini when I was little. I’ve always enjoyed going into the kitchen.”

And it’s hardly a hobby: Jaffre recently earned a first-place finish at the district SkillsUSA competition, earning him a spot in the statewide competition in Hershey in April.

In late February, Jaffre took part in the Pennsylvania ProStart Invitational at State College, joining other students for culinary, restaurant management and cake decorating competitions. ProStart is a two-year, industry-supported culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students in more than 2,000 schools across the U.S.

Jaffre spoke with TribLive about his culinary journey, and about moving into the family business.

Q: You’re currently attending Eastern Westmoreland CTC for culinary arts. Do you plan to continue your education after high school?

A: I plan on going to IUP for culinary arts. I originally thought I’d focus on baking and pastries, but I think I’m probably planning on opening more restaurants than bakeries. I’ve been working at my parents’ restaurant in Latrobe since I was 13 years old. These days I’m a line cook, and I do the sauté station.

Q: What do enjoy cooking most?

A: I like to make our chicken Romano and our seafood Jaffre. I like how nice the chicken plate looks, and it’s easy and delicious. And with the seafood, I like how it is incorporated into the tomato Alfredo sauce, which you don’t see a lot of places.

Q: Your parents are getting ready to open a third location in Mt. Pleasant, and they said you and one of your siblings have shown an interest in being part of the business.

A: I enjoy working beside my family. It’s great motivation for me, an I like the steps that are being laid out. I typically work at the Latrobe restaurant, but I’m going to move to the new location in Mt. Pleasant so I can take a more active role, and it will be more of a learning process about how the whole business operates.