Twelve-year-old Mason Partak still remembers his first attempt at culinary greatness. “I was five or six, and I didn’t know what a soufflé was. I made a Ritz cracker soufflé but accidentally poured too much seasoning into it. It was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten!” Mason certainly learned from that early mistake. He is a recent champion of The Food Network’s Chopped Junior, and his winning recipe—spicy street tacos—is now featured on the menu at Max’s Restaurant and Bar in Auburn. In addition, he started his own sauce and marinade business, Mason Made. 

Yet Mason also strives to give back whenever he can. When he was 10 years old, he raised $26,000 to help re-equip his school’s kitchen—the appliances they bought were ultimately used to create a culinary science lab for kids; recently, he donated some of his Chopped Junior winnings to help the kids buy groceries to cook with. “Mason has a really good heart,” his mother, Kathy, shares. “He cares a lot about other people.” When asked how he can be so ambitious at such a young age, Mason credits his parents’ constant encouragement. “I try to tell parents to say ‘yes’ to their kids,” he says, explaining that being able to cook from an early age can help kids stay healthy. He hopes to continue to spread his message about healthy eating by one day opening his very own food truck: “I’ll be driving around, exploring new places—and cooking all along the way!”

 — Amber Foster 

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