World Food Championships draws chefs from around the globe
Hundreds of chefs compete for their share of $300,000 is prize money in nine categories at the annual World Food Championships in Celebration, Florida.
Indianapolis will be ground zero for barbeque, soup and dessert throwdowns when it hosts the World Food Championships next fall.
The weeklong event that has had its home in Dallas, Texas, is moving its main event – typically drawing hundreds of teams – to Indianapolis in 2024, its organizers announced Monday.
The event, the 12th annual World Food Championships, will take place Nov. 8-12 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Who’s participating in the World Food Championships?
During the week, home cooks, trained chefs and professional teams compete in 12 categories: bacon, barbecue, cougar, chef, dessert, live fire, rice, noodle, sandwich, seafood, soup and vegetarian.
Qualifying competitions for 2024 kicked off in January, with teams looking to make their way to the main event this fall.
About 40 countries and every state in America have been represented at the World Food Championships’ main event since its inception in 2012.
Indianapolis restaurant consultant Craig Baker is a former champ in the recipe category.
What is Culinary Crossroads?
Culinary Crossroads, the private organization formed to promote Indiana’s food and culinary industries, worked to lure the main event here. Indianapolis hosted the World Food Championship’s The Final Table in 2020, with the winners from all of the categories cooking off at Ivy Tech Community College for a $100,000 grand prize.
Pork, duck, sugar pie: Hoosier culinary culture is on display in national food competition
Contestants toured dining hot spots and Indy landmarks, including St. Elmo Steak House, Gallery Pastry Shop and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; recorded for a show aired on the Cooking Channel.
For information, visit www.worldfoodchampionships.com.
Contact IndyStar reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at [email protected] or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com: @cherylvjackson.
