Friday, October 10, 2008

Not only is this a great opportunity for the student, this is an important experience for Scottish chef, Bruce Harper, who is visiting the States for the first time.

Scottish Aramark chef, Bruce Harper, is one of 25 chefs to be selected for the Aramark's International Guest Chef Program. Harper says giving UVa students a taste of the Scottish culture has made this experience very special.

"I just love to sit in front of the American students to get to taste a little bit of Scotland; Scottish salmon and the traditional sticky toffee pudding," said Bruce Harper, International Guest Chef from Aberdeen, Scotland.

"It's great for our employees who get exposed to different cultural experiences. Great for the students, who benefit from trying out the chef's food and meeting with him and being exposed to maybe an area they've never read about or went to," said Bryan Kelly, Executive Chef of UVa Dining.

Harper's United States adventure is proving to be invaluable.

"For me it's culturally. I just went and sampled a different culture. Even between Boston and Charlottesville, I've noticed different cultures and different attitudes between various people in these two cities," said Harper.

During his first time in the States, there is one American tradition Harper is sure not to forget.

"Part of the International Guest Chef Exchange, there's an American chef coming across there. So he's cooking a dish for us there which I tried yesterday. It was North Carolina Pulled Pork and he's cooking that for us there. It was beautiful," said Harper.

Harper will be cooking in the Observatory Hill dining hall tonight from 5 to 8 PM.

People from the community are welcome to attend Chef Harper's event tonight in O-Hill.