NSU chef headed to London in return trip to Olympics

Nicholls State University’s Sodexo dining services executive chef Jeff Haynes is taking his 36 years of cooking experience across the pond and back to his homeland for the 2012 Olympics in London. Haynes is the only Sodexo employee selected to be cooking at this year’s Olympics.

“I am excited, honored and humbled to have been selected and to be representing the company and the school,” Haynes said. “I will definitely be flying the flag for us [Sodexo and NSU] at the event.”

“Contract cooking companies were looking for experts to cook at the event,” the Nicholls chef volunteered. “I applied in December and got cleared to work in the country, and I found out about being selected a few weeks ago,” he said.

The London Olympics will not be Haynes’s first time cooking for the world’s athletes either. He cooked at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where he lived for 16 years.

Haynes attended culinary school at Brunel Technical College in the United Kingdom. Two years ago, he brought his culinary skills to NSU. Prior to joining Sodexo at NSU, Haynes was a personal chef at a New Orleans’ residence and has also cooked in the health care and hotel industries. “My hotel background has given me a wide range of cooking skills and experience that will aid me in cooking at the Olympics,” he said.

As of yet, Haynes is not sure exactly which cooking position he will fill in the Olympic kitchens or who he will be cooking for when he is at the event from July 20 to August 15.

“We will be having a webinar soon to talk about everything,” Haynes said. “I’d love to be cooking for the athletes.”

He hopes to be preparing main entrees or hors d’oeuvres, but shied away from handling sweets.

“Cooking anywhere would be fine for me, but as long as it’s not pastries and desserts,” Haynes said, laughing. “Anything but that. Those are not my strong point.”

Haynes has already purchased his plane ticket and will be rooming at a Sodexo account college in London when he heads back home. He will commute daily from the college to the Olympics’ site.

“In my down time, which I know I won’t have much of, I will try to catch up with friends and family,” he said.

Chef Haynes