On 17 June, the CZU Food Pavilion hosted the fifth edition of the International University Canteen Championship, a culinary competition bringing together teams from university dining facilities across the Czech Republic. The trophy for the best culinary performance quite literally stayed at home, as it was won by Food Pavilion chefs Jiří Dobš and Vojtěch Kletečka.
Four teams competed in the event: the CZU Canteen team operated by Delirest Services, the CZU Food Pavilion team, chefs from the canteen of the University of Mining and Metallurgy – Technical University of Ostrava, and representatives of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice.
The competition is traditionally organized by the CZU Dormitories and Canteens Administration in cooperation with its partner, Delirest Services. This year’s rules required competitors to prepare a main course featuring pike-perch, a legume, and side dishes. The dessert had to include strawberries, citrus fruits, and nuts. At the same time, all dishes had to be suitable for preparation in large-scale catering conditions.
Poached Pike-Perch Wins Over the Jury
The competition took place directly in the Food Pavilion, which serves as a training and educational centre for CZU students. Competing on home ground clearly benefited Dobš and Kletečka, who prepared poached pike-perch wrapped in zucchini and served with a warm lentil salad. For dessert, the Food Pavilion chefs created a lemon tartlet in a nut crust accompanied by a strawberry reduction.
Their recipes and execution impressed the five-member jury the most, earning them first place. They also received a special award for nutritional balance. Second place went to the team from the canteen of the University of Mining and Metallurgy – Technical University of Ostrava, while third place was awarded to the team representing the CZU canteen.
Their grilled pike-perch with black lentils and panna cotta with nut crumble, rum, strawberries, and orange proved particularly popular with visitors attending the tasting session, earning them the Audience Award.
Throughout the day, visitors had the opportunity not only to taste the competition dishes but also to enjoy a cooking show presented by jury member Jan Horký and nutrition expert Kristýna Ostratická.
Chefs Inspire One Another
“Competitions like this are always beneficial for professional development. Participants inspire one another, each bringing their own ideas and sharing them with others. What I value most is the opportunity to connect people from across the industry,” said Jan Horký, a highly experienced culinary professional. He served as captain of the Czech National Team of Chefs and Pastry Chefs for twenty years and has worked in a number of renowned restaurants.
The importance of sharing experience and fostering a friendly atmosphere was also highlighted by Jiří Macoun, Director of CZU Dormitories and Canteens.
“I am very satisfied with how the day went. Everyone enjoyed it, whether they were competitors, judges, or visitors. I believe all the chefs delivered their very best. The final ranking is not the most important thing; our goal was to build a community and encourage the exchange of experience, and I think we achieved that,” he said.
