Eagle Dining鈥檚 Cathey Advances to National Aramark Culinary Excellence Competition
Tue, 04/08/2025 - 01:37pm | By: Stephanie Patterson

A group of passionate chefs from each corner of the鈥鈥疭outh region, including from The University of 麻豆传媒色情片, showcased their culinary prowess at the 2025鈥鈥疌ulinary Excellence competition (ACE) in mid-March at Auburn University.
The event鈥檚 first-place winner, Southern Miss Eagle Dining鈥檚 Chef鈥疛oshua Cathey, will advance to represent Aramark Collegiate Hospitality at the National ACE competition this summer. The winning dish consisted of pan-seared chicken breast,鈥痑ccompanied by a bed of鈥痶oasted parmesan and rosemary orzo, topped with wilted spinach. This dish was elegantly finished with a鈥痳ich honey Dijon pan sauce and tangy pickled radish, garnished with a鈥痗rispy smoked paprika twill.
鈥A 2012 Southern Miss graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in tourism management, Cathey began his professional career in catering at Hattiesburg鈥檚 Lake Terrace Convention Center in 2010. Cathey joined Aramark Collegiate Hospitality in 2016 as a catering chef with Eagle Dining at Southern Miss. In 2021, he was promoted to executive chef at Southern Miss, where his passion and ingenuity are key to Eagle Dining鈥檚 success.
Cathey assisted with Aramark鈥檚 Culinary YOUniversity as a preceptor for the nutrition program on the graduate level and cooking demonstrations for students and other groups in the community. He is also on the culinary board for Hattiesburg High School, focusing on giving back to the next generation of culinarians.
鈥淚 love bringing new flavors to our students, and ACE allows us to put our creativity to the test and get inspired by fellow Aramark Collegiate Hospitality chefs from across the country,鈥 Cathey said.
Cathey is a two-time South region champion of the ACE competition. He also won the South region in 2023 for his dish, blackened jerk fish atop coconut rice with citrus slaw and lime crema.
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Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world鈥檚 leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 16 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Because of our hospitality culture, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet. Click to learn more about Aramark鈥痑nd connect with us on鈥,鈥,鈥 补苍诲鈥.