From the Mountains to Miami: Chef Scot Emerson on Plant-Based Innovation, Sustainability, and the Future of Food

Chef Scot Emerson demonstrates how he transforms his mountain beginnings into a sustainable plant-based culinary movement that operates between Vermont and Miami.

At Never Better Foods we continuously seek culinary leaders who effect change and Chef Scot Emerson represents this movement. Chef Scot Emerson has spent his career transitioning from Vermont ski resort kitchens to professional sports stadium culinary roles and now leads the food service at the University of Miami while redefining how to feed current and future generations ethically, purposefully, and with great taste.

From Resort Dining to Sports Nutrition

The culinary journey of Chef Scot started in Columbus, Ohio, before a Vermont snowboarding trip resulted in thirty years of working as a chef in resorts. The professional sports dining field became his next career step when he managed athlete nutrition services at Nationwide Arena (home of the Columbus Blue Jackets) and Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles stadium).

During his time at this location, Scot formed an intense understanding of how food influences athletic performance.

The understanding of food as performance fuel now guides every dish Chef Scot creates during his work at the University of Miami where he directs nutrition services for more than 20,000 students and athletes.

The campus dining revolution at the University of Miami occurs through plant-based initiatives.

Under the support of the “Plant-Based Canes” initiative and increasing student interest in nutrition the Scot-led team creates delectable and nutritious menu options that welcome all eaters. He states that the increasing number of people with flexible eating habits which include but are not limited to veganism and vegetarianism now drive the market demand.

The preference for plant-based eating stems from how well they benefit both body performance and mental well-being.

Never Better Foods delivers essential products that help Mahoney Dining Hall expand its offerings of nutritious plant-based meals that both taste excellent and satisfy customer expectations.

Chef Scot bases his culinary approach on three essential components of grains greens and beans.

According to Chef Scot, a proper plant-based meal requires grains greens, and beans as its main ingredients.

This principle which he developed during his Vermont kitchen experience guides his cooking approach to this day. The approach emphasizes a mix of diverse tastes alongside creative preparation methods while excluding processed food products. The staff at his facility runs educational workshops that demonstrate how to create whole-food meals using our plant-based cheese products as a teaching tool for students.

Sustainability: More Than a Buzzword

The campus Starbucks coffee ground composting program exists because of Chef Scot's team. The team buys food from local suppliers while following Monterey Bay Aquarium seafood standards and conducting farm assessments of their soil quality and farming methods.

What’s Next?

Chef Scot predicts that flexitarianism will become the dominant eating pattern because it emphasizes whole foods and responsible food choices. The future of plant-based eating becomes possible thanks to chefs like Scot who work with Never Better Foods to make delicious plant-based options accessible to students.