“You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.” – Paul Prudhomme
On July 20th, 2017, the Student Communications Services team, after a day full of anticipation and excitement (and uncertainty about the weather), trekked over to the field by the forestry building, and the brand-new reconciliation pole. Armed with empty stomachs and full hearts, the team was met with a long line and an already filling-up area of tents and picnic tables.
The UBC Chef’s Challenge is an annual event that pits four kitchens from across campus against each other for the chance to be crowned Judge’s and People’s Choice. Up for consideration this year were delicious mini-meals from the AMS Conferences and Catering, BierCraft, Koerner’s Pub, Land & Food Systems Aggies (Student/Faculty Chefs) and Open Kitchen (Orchard Commons). Each kitchen also had a signature beer, and served generous portions to everyone in reusable mason jars we got to keep! 
The menu this year included:
BierCraft: Beer Braised Short Rib Jerky, Watercress and Blueberry Salad
LFS: Pulled Oyster Mushroom, coleslaw, and soft tortilla with BBQ sauce
Koerner’s: Korean pork ribs with garlic chicken crackling, miso buttered corn, mango and jicama salad and pickled watermelon rind
Open Kitchen: Sunshine Coast Sturgeon, lime, stone fruit, greens & grain-filled cracker
AMS: Edible Garden – Textures of parsnip, rye, carrots and beets
A small paper flower was traded for each meal and a poker chip put in a jar at the end was a vote for People’s Choice (won this year by LFS). AMS won the judges over with a creative take on an edible earthy-garden.
The general consensus among the team was that LFS and AMS had the best dishes, with honorable mention for Open Kitchen’s sturgeon.
The event was 2 hours filled with great food, plenty of beer, and good live music. There were a few lawn games set up for anyone interested in a quick round of “Spike Ball” and plenty of space to sit, mingle, or wander around. Utensils and plates were all compostable and contributed to the good vibes.
