Rutgers Dining Chefs Win Gold at Chef Culinary Conference
At the beginning of June, four chefs from Rutgers Dining Services attended the annual Chef Culinary Conference hosted at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The conference, focusing on the “Power of Food,” featured speakers and food experts, interactive workshops from chefs and faculty, panel discussions, and much more.
On the final day of the conference, the four attending chefs—Michael Eng, Peter Imranyi, Jonas Ladao, and George Nikola—were awarded gold in an American Culinary Federation (ACF) competition against chefs from universities across the country.
“The competition was an amazing experience,” said Nikola, who works as the lead chef for Rutgers Football. “It challenged me in ways that I hadn’t anticipated, teaching me how to manage stress and handle cooking challenges under tight time constraints.”
Imranyi, who works for Catering and Special Events, echoed Nikola’s thoughts. “I’ve competed before, and have always enjoyed learning and developing as a chef,” he said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend and compete with other likeminded chefs.”
On top of engaging with workshops, panels, and speakers, the chefs prepared for the competition ahead of time, considering available equipment, recipes, and potential constraints.
“One of the keys to performing well in any competition is that you cook something that you’re comfortable with making,” said Eng, who works at the Atrium in the College Avenue Student Center. “With this in mind, we navigated the required list of ingredients, settling on a cohesive, diverse, flavorful menu.”
For Eng, their teamwork was also key to their victory.
“Even though this was our first time working with each other in this capacity, we focused on each other’s strengths,” he said. “We communicated constantly and just made well-seasoned food.”
Beyond their victory, the chefs also gained more skills and knowledge through their participation in the conference. Ladao, who works at the Rutgers Club, emphasized the range of topics, speakers, and information that they gleaned from the experience.
“The goal of the conference was to shape campus dining through healthy food and lifestyle options using culturally driven, globally inspired recipes and practices,” Ladao said. “I found the lectures, discussions, and competition to be impactful personally and professionally, and I learned more about how I could influence and enhance health, culture, and community through food.”
