DALLAS, Texas, March 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hundreds of award-winning chefs, home cooks and competition teams are setting their sights on the 9th Annual World Food Championships (WFC), where almost 500 teams are expected to compete in Dallas, Texas, this November. Organizers of the event, often referred to as the “Ultimate Food Fight,” just released a who-to-watch list that reveals the Top 100 Competitors based on a new competitive ranking system.
“After having to cancel our 2020 food fight, we felt it was important to share as much information about, and for, our competitors as possible,” said Mike McCloud, President and CEO of WFC. “It’s always surprising to see who excels, who doesn’t, and who comes out of the blue to snag a category championship. So we hope these new rankings will help add some sizzle to an already exciting and sometimes heated competition!”
Regardless of background, all types of chefs, cook teams and home cooks are able to earn their way into WFC, making the field one of the most unique and talented gatherings of competitors in the culinary industry. WFC’s ranking system tries to provide context to every participant’s chances of taking home a portion of the event’s significant prize purse, which surpasses $300,000 across ten food categories.
The rankings are based on a number of key parameters in a competitor's Food Sport background, such as years of experience, past and recent victories, and professional skills or positions in the culinary industry. The system then assigns points based on these key parameters and ranks each competitor, serving as a fun predictive tool as to who could take home the title of World Food Champion and WFC’s grand prize of $100,000.
The list of WFC’s Top 100 Competitors can be found here.
A combination of professional chefs, home cooks and pro teams make up the Top 5 in this year’s competition. But if the last event is any indicator, the home cooks are particularly interesting to watch. For example, the two top positions are claimed by home cooks (2019 World Food Champion Lidia Haddadian and 2019 Bacon World Champion Jodi Taffel) who are looking to defend their titles.
The rankings are likely to change, however, as new competitors win their way in and fill out their ranking profiles. One of the most popular ways to win a Golden Ticket into WFC is currently underway, an online qualifier calledTaste of America (TOA). The TOA challenge, which is open for submissions throughout the month of March, will qualify 30 new competitors into the Ultimate Food Fight. To learn more about the contest,click here.
Stay up-to-date on all things Food Sport, follow the World Food Championships on Twitter (@WorldFoodChamp), Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships).
About World Food Championships
The World Food Championships (WFC) is the highest stakes food competition in the world. This multi-day, live event culinary competition showcases some of the world's best cooks who compete for food, fame and fortune in 10 categories (Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Recipe, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup and Steak). In 2019, more than 450 culinary teams from 11 countries and 42 American states competed in WFC’s Main Event. In August, the 10 Category Champs went head-to-head for a $100,000 bonus that determined a new World Food Champion in a TV special called The Final Table: Indianapolis. While contestants have to earn their way into WFC by winning a Golden Ticket at a previous competition, potential judges are welcome to take WFC’s online certification course that explains the E.A.T. methodology. Certified judges then request and receive available seats at the next scheduled WFC event. Click here to learn more about getting certified.
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