Many people might not know, but some fraternities have had their own chefs for years. Currently, there are three fraternity houses with chefs: Psi Upsilon, Alpha Delta Phi, and Sigma Chi. According to Fraternity and Sorority policy, every person living in the house must be on the fraternity meal plan, including initiated members who do not live in the house. Chefs for fraternities are hired through Harvest Table or Aramark, and they can only be assigned to organizations that have fully operating kitchens.
Chef Joshua King, born and raised in Rochester, has been working as a chef at Psi U since pre-COVID-19. He started working with the University through the Eastman School of Music, and after working there for two years, got nominated for the position at the fraternity. King shared that he enjoys working in a fraternity, especially because of the creative freedom the position allows him. The position does not require him to follow any given set of recipes, giving him space to innovate and make things that the brothers want in the house.
Initially, King was skeptical about the position since he did not know what to expect, but as time went by, he started falling in love with the job. The brothers appreciate the convenience, the quality of King’s food, and his company and presence in the house.
King shared that when he first started, he talked to every brother in the house about their allergies and dietary restrictions, making dishes for some of the brothers separately to avoid cross-contamination due to medical or religious dietary restrictions. He also takes into account the preferences of the brothers when deciding on the meals for the week — for example, having protein-rich foods for brothers who prefer it.
There is also a request board at the house where the brothers can share what they want. Often, it is food from the students’ cultures. For example, he shared making butter chicken with basmati rice and garnish as per request of some of the Indian brothers. As Chef Josh puts it, “I like to bring their cultural food into the house, so they still feel like they’re getting a taste of home.”
King works Monday through Friday and makes two meals: lunch, served around 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner, served around 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. He is responsible for the kitchen, food safety and sanitation, ordering, and inventory. Typical meals are a combination of some kind of protein, starch, veggies, and toppings to “level up the dish a bit more,” as he puts it. Given his $2,000 weekly budget, King cooks two meals each weekday and leaves some leftovers available for the brothers to have over the weekend.
King also shared that the Psi U brothers are his second home, and they have been very supportive amidst trying times with his daughter, Julieana, who suffered from a congenital heart defect and recently passed away. There is currently a GoFundMe organized by one of the Psi U brothers on behalf of King for the medical bills along with funeral and cremation costs. The Psi U brothers also organized a Haunted House event on Nov. 1, where entry was granted after a $5 donation to the GoFundMe.
At the end of each month, King tries to host a big dinner to show his appreciation for the Psi U brothers. “It’s more than just a frat house. It’s really a brotherhood,” he said.
Brothers come to Chef Josh for life advice — which he happily dishes out — since he has experience with things that they probably don’t. His favorite memories are the times when he sits down to eat with the brothers, he said. They bond over these meals, talking, joking, and listening to music. “Just for the record, Psi U is the best frat house,” King said.
Going forward, King also said that he would like fraternity chefs to be more involved in campus life since he feels very isolated on the fraternity quad — think fraternity cook-offs or University events where chefs can get a tent on the campus, or doing catering. Fraternity chefs also need more recognition and funding for the houses, King said.
Maxim Giller, a junior at Psi U, shared that he is excited to go downstairs to eat food and greets Chef Josh with a smile on his face. They see Chef Josh as an honorary brother, he says, and an established member of the fraternity who keeps all of the brothers happy.
“Fraternities last a lifetime,” King said. “Once a brother, you’re always a brother.”
