SUNY Delhi’s hot food team took second place at the national 2024 American Culinary Federation Student Team of the Year competition in Phoenix, Arizona.
“The achievement continues a tradition of success for Delhi’s culinary program, adding to more than 500 individual and team medals won in regional and national competitions over the last decade,” a news release from the college stated.
The Delhi team qualified for the national competition by winning the Northeast regional title earlier this year. In Phoenix, Delhi competed against three other regional titleholders from around the nation with each team creating four-course menus for judging. Delhi’s menu, “Journey through the Catskills,” highlighted regional ingredients such as fish, chicke, and dairy from local farms “and weaved in classical and modern techniques and presentations throughout,” the release stated.
First place went to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College from Asheville, North Carolina.
“We are so proud of our students for this accomplishment,” said Chef Victor Sommo who co-coached the team with Chef Sean Pehrsson. “They worked hard and did exactly what they trained to do. I couldn’t ask for a better team. They are motivated to do it again next year and to do it even better.”
The students on the team were team captain Brennan Spencer, of Painted Post; McKena Giles, of Castle Creek; Moses Rojas, of Bronx; Jahnasia Sutton, of Manhattan; Michael Fanning, of Warwick; Sarthak Thapa, of Kathmandu, Nepal; and Samuel Giordano, of Endicott. Coaches Sommo and Pehrsson are both long-time culinary instructors at SUNY Delhi with years of competition experience, according to the release.
“Our students and coaches did a tremendous job preparing for the national championship,” said David Brower, interim provost at SUNY Delhi. “We couldn’t be prouder of them for their commitment and dedication. Each competitor worked extremely hard and showed the fortitude of students at SUNY Delhi.”
SUNY Delhi’s culinary students have access to “extensive” facilities, the release stated, including Bluestone Pub & Restaurant, a large banquet/catering kitchen, a baking and pastry kitchen, an ice carving lab, a full-scale butcher shop and a lounge bar with a beverage lab.