Oregon State University Chef Jonathan Harthorn has claimed the Pacific regional title in a culinary challenge sponsored by the National Association of College & University Food Services. The NACUFS 2025 Culinary Challenge took place April 1 in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the organization’s spring conference.
Harthorn will next compete at the organization’s national conference in July in Salt Lake City, Utah, facing off against other university chefs.
Each year, chefs create an original, nutritionally balanced dish featuring a designated protein, competing on organization, technique and taste—all judged on a 100-point scale. Harthorn, sous chef for University Housing and Dining at Oregon State, secured first place in the Pacific region and an ACF silver medal for his dish, trio of chicken: mushroom and feta stuffed chicken roulade, saffron lentils and soffritto; chicken skin cracklin’ poached heirloom cauliflower and pomegranate beet purée; liver kofta lollipop and mint yogurt.
This is Harthorn’s second time competing at regionals but his first time advancing. To prepare for the national event, he said he plans to do “more practicing, taking what the judges say to heart, making smart adjustments and sticking with what I know did well”
Reflecting on how it feels to return a second time, Harthorn noted how much the judges have helped him.
“The judges are not here to work against us—they are here to help us get better because my cooking from last time to this time was night and day,” Harthorn said.
For more information, visit the NACUFS website.
