John Barker, a sous chef at the University of Lynchburg, will compete in the National Association of Colleges & University Food Services Culinary Challenge, to be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 24.

Nearly 600 college and university chefs entered the competition, and only six were selected to compete at the regional event. Barker will face off against chefs from universities across the Mid-Atlantic, including Rutgers, Penn State, Johns Hopkins, Richmond, and Villanova.

Each chef will prepare an original recipe containing the following, mandatory ingredients: a whole chicken and chicken livers.

Barker, who came to the University from high-end downtown Lynchburg restaurant William & Henry Steakhouse, will prepare a pan-seared chicken breast, fondant sweet potatoes, sautéed pearl onions, and a chicken liver and Grand Marnier mousse with macerated cherries and a cherry balsamic glaze.

There is a one-hour time limit for chefs to prepare their meals, and the competition will be held in front of a live audience. Winners of the six regional competitions will advance to the NACUFS National Culinary Challenge in Salt Lake City in July.

“I’m very excited for the challenge and the opportunity to represent the University of Lynchburg and our award-winning dining services,” Barker said.

Michial Neal, Lynchburg’s executive chef, competed in the regional NACUFS Culinary Challenge in the early 1990s. It was his first culinary competition, and he was pitted against competition-savvy chefs who were certified by the American Culinary Federation.

“To say I was sweating like a snowman in July would be an understatement,” Neal, who has been at Lynchburg for more than 30 years, said. “You submit your recipe, and you must use the ingredients listed and go by the steps exactly.

“You prepare four plates and are graded on how well you performed, the plate presentation, and the overall taste of the dish, which is sampled by three judges.”

Neal described Barker as a “very valuable member of the [dining services] team,” adding, “He has a culinary degree, a very extensive background in fine dining, and a well-rounded palate. He has worked very hard to get selected, and I know he will continue to hone his procedures so he will win the regional.”