NCRLA Chef of the Year: Matthew Deering, Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte
NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year: Savanna Brodar, The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst
NCRLA Mixologist of the Year: Miguel Angel Latorre, Jr., Revival 1869 in Clayton
NCRLA Distillery of the Year: Broadslab Distillery in Benson
NCRLA Mocktail of the Year: Miguel Angel Latorre, Jr., Revival 1869 in Clayton
The Undeniably Dairy Awards
Best Use of Dairy Products in a Dessert: Pastry Chef Mary Jayne Wilson, Thoughtful Baking Co., Charlotte
Best Use of Dairy Products in a Savory Dish: Chef Theresa Norris, M Restaurants and M Pocha, Durham
Best Use of Dairy Products in a Cocktail: Mixologist Conley Marie, The Willard Rooftop Lounge, Raleigh
Best Use of Dairy Products in a Mocktail: Mixologist Conley Marie, The Willard Rooftop Lounge, Raleigh
The 2024 Born in the Carolinas Awards
Best Use of a Pepsi Product in a Cocktail: Mixologist Miguel Angel Latorre, Jr., Revival 1869, Clayton
Best Use of a Pepsi Product in a Mocktail: Mixologist Zig Payton, Kingfisher, Durham
2024 People’s Choice Awards
People’s Choice for Best Mocktail: Conley Marie from The Willard at the AC Hotel in Raleigh
People’s Choice for Best Cocktail: to Gus Bellavida from End of Days Distillery in Wilmington, partnering with End of Days Distillery
People’s Choice for Best Dessert: Pastry Chef Jill Heaton from Ivory Road in Arden
People’s Choice Best Savory Dish: Chef Mauricio Huarcaya from Gusto Peruano in Wilmington
ABOUT
The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA), the driving force behind North Carolina’s $34.9 billion restaurant, foodservice and lodging industries, announced the winners of the eighth annual NCRLA Chef Showdown, presented by Got To Be NC, on Monday, Aug. 26 at Bay 7 in Durham, North Carolina. The highly anticipated event celebrated the best culinary and mixology talent in the state, serving guests an array of sweet and savory bites, cocktails and mocktails crafted from a host of local ingredients.
AWARDS + DETAILS
Preliminary Rounds: The adventure starts with chefs and mixologists entering the arena in five culinary and two mixology preliminary competitions. Chefs whip up savory or sweet creations, while mixologists, each paired with an NC distillery, blend craft cocktails and mocktails with flair.
Semi-Finals: Scores from the preliminaries decide who advances. The playing field is now narrowed down to eighteen chefs and eight pastry chefs who compete in one of two regional culinary semi-final rounds. Meanwhile, only twelve mixology teams move on to the semi-finals, to craft cocktails and mocktails, shaking and stirring it up for a shot at one of six spots in the Grand Finale.
The Grand Finale: The journey culminates on August 26 at Bay 7 in Durham, where the finalists compete for top honors. Only 15 chefs crafting savory dishes, five pastry chefs, and six mixology teams will make it to this stage, all aiming to be named the NCRLA’s best in their field for 2024. This is the only round of competition that is open to the public- and draws nearly 500+ attendees.
The 2024 Undeniably Dairy Awards
Presented by The Dairy Alliance, the Undeniably Dairy Awards honor competitors who creatively use NC cow’s milk dairy products in their dishes and drinks. While dairy use isn’t mandatory for entries, those incorporating it can win one of four awards presented by The Dairy Alliance. Winners, showcasing dairy’s culinary versatility, will be announced two weeks prior to the Grand Finale in August.
The 2024 Born in the Carolinas Awards
Introducing the “Born in the Carolinas Awards,” a new accolade presented by Pepsi Bottling Ventures for our 2024 Chef Showdown. This award celebrates chefs, pastry chefs, and bartenders who ingeniously incorporate any Pepsi product into their competition creations. Participation is optional, but those who choose to use Pepsi products in their savory dishes, desserts, or beverages stand a chance to win one of four prestigious awards. The winners, demonstrating innovative Pepsi integration, will be revealed two weeks prior to the Grand Finale in August.
2024 People’s Choice Awards
After intense preliminary and semi-final rounds, six teams of mixologists—each championing an NC Distillery partner—fifteen chefs, and five pastry chefs will culminate their journey on August 26, presenting sample-sized versions of their semi-final round creations to the public. There, every competitor has a chance to win People’s Choice Award honors for Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail and Best Mocktail.
NCRLA is proud to compete at some of North Carolina’s finest community college culinary schools throughout this competition, each one serving to teach and inspire the North Carolina hospitality industry of tomorrow. All preliminary and semifinal rounds are private events open only to competitors, judges, media, and invited guests. Don’t miss the chance to witness the climax of this year’s competition at the Grand Finale in Durham!
Culinary Preliminary Rounds
- Mountain Region: March 25 at AB Tech Community College Culinary School, Asheville
- Coast: April 22 at Carteret Community College Culinary School, Morehead City
- Triad: May 6 at Wilkes Community College Culinary School, Wilkesboro
- Metrolina: May 13 at Central Piedmont Community College Culinary School, Charlotte
- Triangle: June 10 at Wake Tech Community College School of Baking and Pastry Arts, Raleigh
mixology Preliminary Rounds
- Eastern NC: April 8 at Vidrio, Raleigh
- Western NC: April 29 at Broad Branch Distillery, Winston-Salem
mixology semi-final Rounds
- Western NC: June 17 at Merle’s Cocktail Bar, Wilkesboro
- Eastern NC: July 1 at Native Fine Diner, Greenville
culinary semi-final regional Rounds
- Western NC: July 15 at Central Piedmont Community College Culinary School, Charlotte
- Eastern NC: July 29 at Wake Tech Community College School of Baking and Pastry Arts, Raleigh
grand finale
- August 26 at Bay 7, American Tobacco Campus, Durham
MEET THE COMPETITORS
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
“This competition not only celebrates the culinary and mixology talents of our state but also emphasizes the importance of sourcing locally, reinforcing our commitment to North Carolina’s farms and producers.”
Lynn Minges, NCRLA President & CEO
Application & Rules
The application period for the 2024 Chef Showdown has ended. While you can no longer apply this season, we encourage you to review the competition rules for more information. We look forward to your participation next year!
