University Of Massachusetts Amherst’s Dining Wins Gold, Silver Medals At Annual NACUFS Conference

Chef Jeffrey MacDonald was awarded an individual gold medal and UMass Dining won a silver for a special event celebrating Lunar New Year at the American Culinary Federation National competition on July 20 held at the annual National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) conference in Baltimore.

MacDonald was one of six chefs to compete in this national, highly competitive culinary contest. His gold medal dish featured pork tenderloin, soy and cognac braised pork belly, apple compote, parsnip potato puree and Tuscan kale.

The road to the finals included a hard-fought win at the 2023 Northeast-Mid Atlantic NACUFS Regional Conference hosted on the UMass campus in March. The National NACUFS Chef Culinary Competition is always highly competitive, with a total of 40 chefs vying to make the finals.

“I am incredibly proud of Jeff and his accomplishment,” Executive Chef Anthony Jung says. “As a former champion and chair of the competition, to see someone I’ve worked so closely with represent UMass at the highest level is an honor.”

The UMass Dining team also brought home a silver medal for their Lunar New Year event in the Loyal E. Horton Dining Award for Residential Dining – Special Event Category. The Loyal E. Horton Dining Award is the ultimate professional tribute in college and university dining, celebrating exemplary menus, memorable dining experiences, special events and new dining concepts.

The UMass Dining team featured a live cooking demonstration by celebrity chef Martin Yan, performances by the student-led UMass Lion Dance club, as well as an authentic menu featuring the flavors of countries celebrating Lunar New Year.