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.