July 15, 2026
The kitchens at Grand Rapids Community College recently became the training ground for some of the nation’s top military culinary talent when the U.S. Navy Student Culinary Team prepared for the American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention that took place in Grand Rapids, June 28 – July 2, 2026.
The team earned its spot at nationals after winning its regional qualifying competition in Virginia, bringing together culinary specialists from duty stations across the globe, including San Diego and Japan, to compete on one team. Their preparation at GRCC paid off. The U.S. Navy Culinary Team earned two gold medals and five bronze medals, capping off an impressive showing.
This was their first time competing together,” said Senior Chief Gary Askins, manager of the Navy’s Culinary Arts Team. “From regionals to now, they’ve grown so much. They’re more comfortable in the kitchen, more confident and ready for this stage.”
A National-Level Kitchen for National-Level Preparation
When the Navy needed a professional kitchen in Grand Rapids to prepare for the competition, an accreditor from the ACF reached out to GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education because GRCC is ACF-accredited. The college was able to provide its teaching kitchens, giving the team several days to rehearse every detail of their competition menu.
For the competition, the chefs have just 90 minutes to prepare a four-course meal for four judges. A challenge that requires precision, organization and countless hours of practice.
“The culinary setup here is great,” Askins said. “We’ve had everything we could possibly need to practice and train.”
Culinary Specialist Third Class Lajasmine Foster agreed.
“This kitchen is amazing,” Foster said. “Everything works properly. It’s very clean and has everything we need.”
Faculty Expertise Adds a Fresh Perspective
Throughout the week, GRCC Program Director for Culinary Education Werner Absenger provided feedback during each practice run, tasting dishes and offering suggestions to help the team refine flavors, presentation and execution.
“They’ve gotten better and better everyday,” Werner said. “They’re consistently improving their execution, plating and flavors. By the time they compete, that dish will be as close to perfect as it can be.”
For the Navy team, those outside perspectives were invaluable.
“Chef Werner has been great,” Askins said. “He’s been very accommodating. After eating the same food over and over, it’s nice to have a fresh palate and hear different ideas or small tweaks.”
Foster also appreciated the feedback and the enthusiasm.
“He loves our food,” she said with a laugh. “Sometimes he clears the whole plate, and that’s what I love to see.”
More Than a Competition
While hosting the Navy team provided an opportunity to showcase GRCC’s state-of-the-art culinary facilities, Werner says the experience benefits the college in several ways.
Watching another nationally competitive student team gives faculty valuable insight into how GRCC students compare with top culinary talent from across the country. Just as importantly, it helps strengthen relationships with military partners.
GRCC serves many student veterans, including those pursuing culinary careers after military service. Werner hopes the new connections with Navy culinary leaders will help the college better understand military training and identify opportunities to award college credit for relevant experience.
“I now have direct contacts in the Navy,” Werner said. “We can start conversations about their training programs and explore how that experience might translate into college credit. That’s exciting.”
Ready for Nationals
Although the week was spent almost entirely in the kitchen, the team’s focus never wavered from its goal.
“We’ve pretty much been practicing the whole time,” Foster said. “We’ve gone out to dinner a couple of times, but otherwise we’ve been in the kitchen preparing.”
That dedication paid off when the team earned two gold medals and five bronze medals at the competition, validating the countless hours of practice and refinement that took place.
For GRCC, hosting the Navy Culinary Team reflects the college’s commitment to supporting excellence in culinary education while building meaningful partnerships with industry and military professionals. The collaboration also strengthens connections with military culinary programs and creates opportunities to better serve veterans pursuing culinary careers at GRCC.