The event brought together campus food leaders, chefs, dietitians and industry partners to share best practices, tackle challenges and explore the future of post-secondary dining.
Uniquely UBC
“What made this year’s conference so special and unique was that it was hosted at UBC on a university campus for the first time!” noted Colin Moore, Director of Food Services at UBC and 2025 CCUFSA Conference Chair.
The theme for the conference was Feeding the Future—challenging all delegates to think about our role in a future sustainable food system, how we can leverage AI to feed the future, the importance of introducing Indigenous food ways and, most importantly, the future of our own wellbeing.
Educational sessions
CCUFSA 2025 featured a diverse program of sessions that challenged delegates to think critically about the future of food on campus.
Keynote
The conference opened with a keynote from Nick Buettner on Blue Zones, regions where people live longer, healthier lives and what lessons these communities offer for supporting student wellbeing. George Minakakis followed with Leadership and AI, exploring how artificial intelligence can shape decision-making and operations in food services.
Cross Canada check-up
The Cross Canada Check-Up provided fast-paced updates from schools nationwide, sharing both recent successes and common challenges.
EAT forum
The EAT forum with Fabrice DeClerk gave delegates a first look at insights from the upcoming EAT-Lancet 2.0 report and their recommendations for food systems transformation. EAT is the preeminent global research organization and centre of excellence focused on creating a globally sustainable food system.
Sustainable food systems
A panel on sustainable food systems brought together Annie Lalande, David Speight, Liska Richer, Ned Bell, Sean Smukler and Sonia Strobel, each offering perspectives on how sustainable practices are being implemented across research, culinary and industry contexts.
Indigenous food ways
The program closed with a powerful session on Indigenous food ways led by Jared Qwustenuxun Williams, alongside Chef Andrew George and Fiona Devereaux.
Together, they explored meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities, strategies for confronting institutional and internalized racism, and shared resources like the guidebook Cooking in Two Worlds: A Process Guide for Incorporating Indigenous Foods into Institutions.
Annual culinary challenge
One of the most highly anticipated events at every CCUFSA conference is the culinary challenge. Each year, teams from different universities compete in a mystery box cooking challenge hoping to win over a professional panel of judges and coveted votes from conference attendees.
On the opening night of the conference, a selection of mystery ingredients, which included Pacific geoduck, local raspberries, garlic scapes, morel mushrooms, barley, BC halibut and more, were revealed to culinary teams from UBC, Simon Fraser University and the University of Ottawa.
Each team then had almost two days to plan, prepare and incorporate the mystery ingredients into a three-course meal that would be served and voted on during the challenge on Wednesday evening.
Congrats to the winning UBC team
The team from UBC successfully won over the judges and the audience, taking home both Gold and the People’s Choice award—congratulations Andy Chan (who also won in 2019!), Diana Lee, Mike Huang and Juliana Campbell!
Showcasing our passion
“Participating in the CCUFSA Culinary Challenge is about more than just competing, it’s about pushing ourselves to grow, working together under pressure and showcasing the passion we bring to campus dining every day,” said Chef Andy Chan about the experience.
“It’s a unique opportunity to step outside our day-to-day routines and truly challenge ourselves. For me the value is in the journey, the planning, the teamwork and the pride we feel representing UBC on stage. Winning gold was a great moment, but the real win was seeing our team come together and rise to the occasion.”
Culinary challenge video series
Watch the video series produced by CCUFSA about the culinary challenge.
SHCS leaders honoured with CCUFSA awards
On Thursday, June 26, at the CCUFSA closing banquet, two of our SHCS leaders were honoured with CCUFSA’s most prestigious awards.
Andrew Parr: Gord G. Mann Distinguished Service Award
This award—the highest honour that CCUFSA bestows—recognizes a past or present member of CCUFSA for significant contributions to the food services industry.
Andrew was previously recognized with CCUFSA’s Award of Excellence in 2006.
Congratulations, Andrew!
Colin Moore: Award of Excellence
He was recognized for his many years of service and contributions to CCUFSA, in roles including President and Western Regional VP, and his role in making UBC Food Services a flagship food operation in Canadian higher education.
Congratulations, Colin!
Nutrition and wellness forum
The Nutrition and Wellness Forum took place on the afternoon of Thursday, June 26th, offering an opportunity to connect and explore key topics in nutrition.
“Recognizing that nutrition and wellness are relevant to everyone, this was the first year the forum was open to all CCUFSA attendees—not just dietitians,” highlighted Gloria Sun, Manager of Nutrition and Wellbeing at UBC Food Services and one of the key organizers of the forum.
The event began with a thoughtfully curated, family-style meal featuring local ingredients and concluded with two engaging speakers: Natasha Haskey, who discussed the critical role of gut health and its impact on our industry, and Sunghwan Yi, who explored how subtle nutrition nudges can encourage healthier choices among our customers.
The forum left attendees with practical insights and inspiration to bring back to their campuses, reinforcing the importance of nutrition and wellness in shaping the future of campus dining.
Success through collaboration
The success of CCUFSA 2025 was made possible thanks to strong collaboration across campus.
“It takes a village to organize and run a national conference for CCUFSA,” said Colin Moore. “A big thank you to the following groups that contributed to making this year’s conference a success: the UBC CCUFSA Conference Committee, Sage Catering, UBC Conferences and Accommodation, and The University of Guelph CCUFSA Team.”
The CCUFSA 2025 National Conference was not only a chance to exchange ideas and gain new insights, but also a moment to celebrate the passion and dedication that drives campus dining across the country.
We hope the conversations sparked at this year’s conference will continue to shape our work and deepen our commitment to meaningful partnerships, cultural respect, and sustainable practices at UBC and across campuses nationwide.
All photos courtesy Student Housing and Community Services and CCUFSA.
