How two Goochland County High School students are blending culture, food and football

GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Goochland County High School is highlighting two students who utilized their love and passion for cooking to bring the community together.

Alex Phillips and Addison Bryce started their student-driven initiative, "Dawg Treats," at the start of last years football season and according to the county, has become a fan favorite.

Dawg Treats was started during Phillips' sophomore year after she was tasked with making a Spanish treat for an extra credit assignment in her Spanish class. Together, Phillips and Bryce launched Dawg Treats last football season.

"After being given that assignment, I remembered that so many months highlight different
cultures, like Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month,” said co-founder Alexis Phillips.

According to the release, the purpose behind Dawg Treats is to simply, "spread cultural awareness through food." Each item on the menu is designed to highlight multiple cuisines.

"Creating Dawg Treats has given me the chance to spread awareness of other featured cultures.
My goal is to one day run a fine dining restaurant of my own," shared Phillips.

Each item bought helps to support the Goochland culinary program. Dawg Treats has now made its way to home football games featuring menu items such as, chicken sandwiches, mac and cheese, brownies, and flavored lemonades.

According to the county, future menu items will include international dishes like, calzones, pierogies, beef tacos, chicken empanadas, tiramisu and tres leches cake.

The food is served by a refurbished bus that remains parked by the Goochland County High School flagpole until third quarter with prices ranging from $2 to $10.

All proceeds from Dawg Treats directly benefit Goochland’s culinary students and helps to support, field trips, classroom activities, and hands-on learning opportunities, according to the county.

"When we started Dawg Treats, we knew we wanted to use the food bus, and we wanted to
find a way to use our culinary skills outside of the classroom," shared co-founder Addison Bryce. "It’s been exciting to see people enjoy our food while also learning about different cultures."

For more information on Goochland's culinary school, contact the school's culinary teacher, Chef William Erlenbach.

"Addison and Alexis have shown tremendous initiative and leadership with Dawg Treats," said Erlenbach. "They’ve created a unique experience for our community while also
supporting the growth of our culinary program."