SUNY Delhi Students Capture Silver at American Culinary Federation National Championship

DELHI, NY (07/26/2017) (readMedia)-- SUNY Delhi's Hot Food Team proved itself to be among the best in the country with a silver-medal finish at the American Culinary Federation Student Team National Championship July 9-13 in Orlando, Florida.

The competition took place during the ACF National Convention & Show, which featured educational seminars, networking opportunities and demonstrations on the latest culinary trends from leading industry experts.

"We are so proud of the success of our 2017 Hot Food Team," said David Brower, Dean of SUNY Delhi's School of Business and Hospitality Management. "They represented the college and our school perfectly, and their professionalism, sportsmanship, and grace were commendable."

In order to advance to the national competition, the team first earned the New York State title, at a competition held at SUNY Delhi in November, followed by the Northeast Regional Championship held in New Rochelle, New York in February.

The first day in Orlando included the preparation of a cold food buffet platter for eight, which was completed on day two and presented on a reclaimed wood platter hand-crafted by SUNY Delhi staff member Will Wilson. The second part of day two required students to prepare and present a four-course menu featuring duck from Maple Leaf Farms, a generous supporter of the team. Critiques by the expert judges provided both constructive comments and praise for the innovative menu, precision of craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

Team members included Alex Johnson of Herkimer (captain), Peter Blayne of Westbury, Matthew Julius of the Bronx, Carly Yezzo of Schenectady and Arthur Grady of Syracuse (alternate). Daniel Hess of Salisbury Mills, Jerusaline Johnson of Mumbai, India, and Jessica Shultis of Schenectady served as apprentices. A reception to celebrate the accomplishments of the team will be held early in the fall semester.

Last summer, the college's Hot Food Team won its first international competition at the Copa Culinaria Mundial Junior in Costa Rica. SUNY Delhi students and faculty have won hundreds of ACF medals at local, regional and national events.

SUNY Delhi's Culinary Arts programs offer graduates a firm foundation from which to start their careers as professionals. Students can choose from a variety of specialized courses depending on their interest or direction in the field, including advanced meat cutting, culinary competition, advanced pastries and confections, and culinary sculpting, a course in which students learn to sculpt 300-pound ice blocks made in the campus lab. A capstone course, Signatures by Candlelight, gives students the experience of operating a full-service, fine dining restaurant that is open to the public.

The Culinary Arts programs are part of SUNY Delhi's award-winning hospitality offerings. Delhi offers two- and four-year degree programs in Hotel and Resort Management, Restaurant and Foodservice Management, Event Management, and Culinary Arts.