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Delta throwback: Chef guides his students

Chef Julius Pokomandy’s class a popular one for Delta students
Chef Julius Pokomandy’s class at South Delta Senior Secondary 1974
Providing meals for the school canteen, student cooks were in the capable hands of legendary B.C. chef Julius Pokomandy.

Let’s head back to the 1974 pages of the Optimist and see the Christmas banquet feast prepared by South Delta Senior Secondary students for their parents and other students.

The scrumptious meal prepared by the 44 students in the cookery program was held at the school on Dec. 11 that year.

As had been found in other Delta schools, there were more males taking the course than females.

They were in the capable hands of head chef instructor Julius Pokomandy (pictured), whose aim was to show youngsters they could do more than they thought with different foods.

“His methods and ideas have obviously captured the imagination of students who are clamouring to take the course. At present they’re oversubscribed - and the next three semesters’ enrollment sheets are already filled,” the Optimist reported.

He also had a comment about the controversy that year about school vending machines, saying the key is to provide consumers with something better and more appealing than candy bars.

The B.C. Chefs’ Association has a Julius Pokomandy Award.