It’s been an exciting day for UofU Dining. Jacob Gandy is one of our talented chefs at Urban Bytes in Kahlert Village. On Saturday March 20, Gandy rode off to Colorado Springs, Colorado to participate in his first National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) Regional Cooking Competition. Coached by Chef Peter Hodgson and Chef Ken Ohlinger, Gandy spent the past two months preparing and practicing his dish Crepinette of Pork Wrapped in Swiss Chard.

Gandy won the competition and is the 2023 Continental Regional winner. He now advances to the national level competition with other regional winners at the NACUFS 2023 National Conference, taking place July 19-22 in Baltimore.

“When I found out the competition was in spring my first thought was to make an earthy and fresh dish,” said Gandy. “With herbs and mushrooms layered through the dish every bite is fresh. I used lemon juice and wine to cut through some of the earthiness in the flavor. The lardons, polenta and veggies bring texture and contrast to the dish. Finally, I chose a rich, decadent sauce to tie the plate together.”

His practices included adjusting his recipes and trying new ingredients that helped continue to elevate his dish. There were many other gifted chefs in the region competing. They were all hoping to win that same ticket to the National NACUFS Cooking Competition in Baltimore but none of them compared to Gandy’s sharp skills, time management and talent.

After all his hard work and countless practices, we are excited to share that Gandy is headed to the national competition where he will compete against all the nation’s regional winners. We can’t be more proud of everything that he has accomplished and will be standing right beside him rooting him on in July.

Congratulations Jacob!