Battle of the Chefs: Pro Chef Throw Down | Press Releases

Fairfield University to host competition featuring Sodexo chefs from colleges throughout New England

Who : Campus chefs from Fairfield University, University of New Haven, University of Bridgeport, Bryant University, Nichols College, and Assumption College will gather at Fairfield University to vie for culinary supremacy in the first annual "Battle of the Chefs: Pro Chef Throw Down."

When : Wednesday, March 12, Judging at 1 p.m.: At 11:30 a.m., lunch will be served in the Barone Campus Center (BCC) Dining Hall, 4th floor, on the Fairfield campus. The battling teams will take over locations in the servery, and students will be able to sample all creations.

Fairfield faculty judges Associate Professor Dina Franceschi; Associate Professor Jennifer Klug; Associate Professor Tod Osier; and Assistant Professor Aaron Van Dyke will be served at 1 p.m. in the BCC Dining Hall and then the winning team announced. Students will also have a vote for their favorite dish via Twitter and paper ballots. On Twitter, follow @FairfieldDining for event details; to vote, use #ProChefThrowdown.

What : Taking cues from the popular Food Network shows "Iron Chef" and "Chopped," District Chef Rose Forrest worked with Fairfield University campus Chef Nick Pawlowski creating unique combinations of competition ingredients such as Dragon Fruit, Rambutan, Sunchokes, and very unique proteins atypical of campus dining menu items. Sodexo, the leader in Quality of Life Services, is the dining services partner to each participating campus in the district and organizer of the event.

Why : "We are serving a generation of students who grew up watching Food Network, many of whom experiment with new foods and cooking," said John Hicks, Sodexo district manager. "As culinary expertise is abundant in our campus kitchens, this allows our chefs to bring their 'best food forward' in a friendly competition."

On competition day, each team will be given a mystery ingredients basket at 6 a.m. By 7:30 a.m., teams must have created a "team name" and menu. They will have access to a table of raw ingredients, plus use of kitchen stations and equipment to prepare.

"We had a great time planning this event and coming up with unique and innovative mystery items," said district chef Rose Forrest. "It is going to be a ton of fun for the students who get to try unique dishes and for the Chefs who can put their culinary skills to the test. 'Battle of the Chefs' will be an exciting morning with chefs running around to beat the clock and present the winning dish."

"The students get energized by the change of forum and interaction involved with the 'Battle of the Chefs' program," said Bryan Davis, general manager, dining services. "We will be sending open invitations to all faculty and staff and special invitations will be sent to our valued partners."

Sodexo dining services will videotape the event and stream video on the digital screens and televisions throughout breakfast and lunch in the servery and the dining area.

"In our dining service programs we are continually working on new ways to engage our students, offer innovative dining opportunities, and create unique events that bring excitement to our campus community and to our culinary teams," said Rebecca Shaw, area marketing coordinator. "Our 'Battle of the Chefs: Pro Chef Throw Down' event combines all of this to offer an exceptional student experience and we are excited to bring this event to Fairfield University."

For more information, contact Rebecca Shaw, area marketing coordinator at (203) 721-5239 or Rebecca.shaw@sodexo.com .