27th Annual Chef Culinary Conference

Riding the Momentum of Change
University of Massachusetts, Amherst June 8-10, 2021 (Virtual Conference)

Presentations Culinary & Full-Day Videos Recipes


Riding the Momentum of Change

Dear All,

Happy Spring! I trust all is well and you are looking forward to having a great summer and fall.

The 2021 Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference is about 2 weeks away and we have a rich educational program planned for you, thanks to the team and support from everyone involved. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Three famed professors (MDs) from Harvard will talk about nutrition and dietary health, including gut health
  • Three Campus Leaders –  a President and two Vice Chancellors, will talk about a newly transformed institution and building a more healthy and sustainable campus
  • Three Presidents from the supply chain will discuss the state of the industry and how we can all work together strategically
  • 12 esteemed directors fromthe C & U segment will share their thoughts from vision, best practices for planetary & human health, EDI, meal plan, culinary strategy, campus life, student experience to innovation
  • A prominent Professor of Earth and Space Sciences will talk about climate change and a soil revolution to improve the health of our farmland soil
  • A renowned Professor of Environmental Health Sciences from Columbia will talk about the Climate, CO2 and Nutrition
  • A beloved industry icon, Chef Alice Waters, will be back to talk about flavorful simple healthy food
  • Two students panels:
    • Rising seniors/incoming freshmen from across the nation will discuss why they chose a particular college to attend
    • College students will talk about what they are expecting from us as they plan to return to campus this fall
  • Two of the most highly cited food scientists in the world will discuss the present and future of food
  • A  well-known marketer from the world’s largest food company will talk about Gen Z Marketing for Post-Covid Momentum and an award-winning journalist will discuss how to create lifelong healthy relationships with food
  • Six interactive workshops covering a variety of cuisines from Mediterranean, Latin and Indian, to Thai, plus plant-forward and plant-based
  • And much more!

Together we will be Riding the Momentum of Change. All sessions are FREE, FREE, FREE with many thanks to the generous support from our sponsors to make this possible.

Registration is required, and zoom space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early! See you soon.

Ken Toong

Conference Chair

Ken ToongKen ToongKen Toong
Executive Director and Chair
ktoong@umass.edu


"I’ve been fortunate to be apart of this conference for almost eight years. It only gets better each year. The caliber of Chefs and experts that Ken Toong assembles is unparalleled, the knowledge that attendees receive in the week at Umass can only be matched by traveling around the world. I’m looking forward to seeing new and familiar faces again this year."

− Jet Tila

"Taste of the World Chef Culinary Conference is a great conference. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn cuisine from chefs from all over the world. Ken and his culinary team do it right. This will be my seventh year and the conference continues to exceed expectations!"

− Greg Gefroh, University of North Dakota

"We look forward to the conference every year. From the culinary classes with world renown chefs, the culinary competition and the great hospitality of the UMass staff, I dare you to find a better conference that is reasonably priced"

− Craig Mombert, Davidson College

"The UMASS chef conference is the best conference that I have attended. I have been there the last 6 years and I have been lucky enough to have taken my daughter to the last few. She has gotten to meet chefs from all over the world and they have made a lasting impression on her and myself. I have learned more in the one week at his conference from the presenters and chefs from other schools. It is well worth the investment to send as many of your current chefs as you can. There are so many different hands on classes that you will want to have someone in each of them."

− Paul Nicolini, Penn State

"The Chefs’ Conference organized by UMass is the perfect venue for Chefs to get out of their comfort zones and really get back to the basics, great food! An outstanding event perfectly organized with great speaker and demonstrations. A must for all chefs."

− Oliver de Volpi I, McGill University