Virginia Tech chef wins Mid-Atlantic title in Culinary Challenge

Virginia Tech chef wins Mid-Atlantic title in Culinary Challenge

Nicholas Simpson advances to national competition in New Orleans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Virginia Tech Executive Chef Nicholas Simpson has earned first place in the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) 2026 Mid-Atlantic Culinary Challenge. The live cooking competition, held Tuesday afternoon at The George Washington University (GW), was part of NACUFS Engage: Mid-Atlantic, an educational and networking conference for professionals working in campus dining. Simpson will move on to compete at the NACUFS 2026 National Conference on July 15 in New Orleans, where he will face off against other regional winners from across the country.

In addition to earning first place in the Mid-Atlantic, Simpson earned a gold medal from the American Culinary Federation (ACF), which adjudicated the competition. He previously won ACF golds at both the regional and national levels in the NACUFS 2024 Culinary Challenge.
The moment he heard his name in first place, “it felt like all the hard work was worth it,” Simpson said.

It was the “help of a few mentors and the support of our department—which supports chefs’ endeavors like this—as well as a lot of practice and hours spent planning and project managing the dish” that earned him the win, Simpson explained.

“It’s a pleasure to represent our Virginia Tech Hokies and all of our Virginia Tech dining staff,” he added.  “It’s an honor to show that we really do have a top-notch dining program at Virginia Tech.” 
Inspired by traditional German cuisine, Simpson’s dish featured catfish sausage and a pan-fried catfish cutlet, a white wine and fumet reduction, seared okra with mushrooms, beer-braised red cabbage and apples, and a warm German potato salad with bacon.

“I was going for a classical German theme, so I was trying to use a lot of classic techniques in showcasing the two products, okra and catfish,” he explained. “I hope the judges really appreciated the techniques that went into it and the flavors as well.”

Simpson, executive chef at Owens Dining Center, has 16 years of collegiate dining experience, including positions at the University of Missouri, Washington University, Texas Tech, and Virginia Tech. He holds a bachelor’s degree in dietetics and is pursuing an MBA at Virginia Tech.

Earning another gold medal and second place in Tuesday’s competition was Peter Imranyi of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, while Jarrod Himes of GW earned an ACF silver medal and third place. Carter Layne of the University of Virginia also earned a silver, with Jimmy Davis of the University of Richmond and Jim Harris of Villanova University each earning bronze.

Launched in 2001, the NACUFS Culinary Challenge celebrates the exceptional culinary talent in collegiate foodservice. 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.

The NACUFS Culinary Challenge is sponsored by Cintas. For more information, visit www.NACUFS.org/Events/Culinary-Challenge.

About NACUFS

The National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) has been supporting excellence in collegiate dining since 1958. Through education, networking, and programs like the Culinary Challenge, NACUFS empowers food service professionals to innovate and lead on campus.