Winning chefs in the Colorado Regional Culinary Challenge advance to the national competition

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The two winners of the Regional Culinary Challenge for the 2023 NACUFS Culinary Challenge are advancing to the national level competition with the regional winners at the NACUFS 2023 National Conference.

The competition, held at The Broadmoor Resort, was part of the NACUFS 2023 Spring Conference in Colorado Springs.

Chef Jacob Gandy of the University of Utah was named the Continental regional winner and Chef Héctor Giancarlo Pérez-Scolari of the University of California - San Diego was named the Pacific regional winner.

The competition was both chefs’ first time competing. 

Each year at the annual NACUFS Culinary Challenge, a protein is selected that competitors must use to create an original recipe to form a nutritionally balanced plate.

Individual competitors’ creations are judged based on a 100-point scale to rate organization, cooking skills, culinary technique, and taste.

Chef Gandy won first place in the Continental Region for his Crepinette of Pork Wrapped in Swiss Chard. 

Chef Pérez-Scolari won first place in the Pacific Region for a recipe called Quynh, which he described as the “flavors of bahn mi for a dear friend.”

To prepare for the national competition, Chef Gandy says he will practice all the tips he received from the judges.

“I’m going to take all the advice that the judges gave me to heart. I’m really just going to make sure that everything they gave me notes on, I’m delivering on,” said Gandy, 

Chef Pérez-Scolari said winning the competition was a big relief.

“It took a lot of practice, a lot of work, and a lot of coaching, so it’s a good feeling,” Pérez-Scolari said.

Gandy and Pérez-Scolari will advance to the national level competition with other regional winners at the NACUFS 2023 National Conference, taking place July 19-22, in Baltimore, Maryland.