The Citadel has taken its second gold metal in a row from ARAMARK’s regional culinary competition.  This contest brings together the best and brightest from schools across the Carolina’s.  Among the competitors were chefs from Charleston Southern University and College of Charleston, where ARAMARK also provides food service.  The competition is designed to challenge each chef’s creative abilities and their ability to work under strict time restraints.  Set-up at the Fresh Food Company located on the corner of St. Phillip and Liberty Streets in Downtown Charleston, each of the 8 competitors were tasked to create a two-course menu using ingredients from a mystery basket unveiled just before the start.  Judging flavor, presentation, sanitation and culinary skill were chefs instructors from the Art Institute’s International Culinary Program and Trident Tech’s Culinary Institute of Charleston. 

On Thursday March 5^th, after 3 hours of fast paced chopping and sautéing and an hour of grueling judging, gold was given to our very own Jeff Arthur.  Jeff has worked with our team at the Military College of South Carolina for 9 years.  He took the reigns of the extensive kitchen in 2008.  This is the second gold metal in a row for Jeff and The Citadel after he swept the competition last year.  

Chef Arthur is responsible for leading all food production on The Citadel Campus including the nearly 30,000 weekly cadet meals in the Mess Hall while at the same time serving as Executive Chef of iron gate events, ARAMARK at The Citadel’s off-premise catering brand.   Jeff is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University and he and his wife Heather just gave birth to their first son, Tyler.

We are very proud of his accomplishments and wish him the best as he and two others travel to Boston in July to represent the Southeast in ARAMARK’s International ACE Competition.