Announcing the 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown
North Carolina’s Largest Culinary and Mixology Competition
presented by Got to Be NC
Now, in its eighth electrifying season, this prestigious culinary and cocktail competition is the only statewide contest in which the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association names the NCRLA Chef of the Year, NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year, and NCRLA Mixologist and Distillery
of the Year. Plus, new this year, a separate award for the 2024 NCRLA Best Mocktail of the Year.
Each of these coveted titles to be awarded at the competition’s Grand Finale on August 26, 2024, at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC.
This state-wide competition is designed to promote and spotlight the talent of chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists across North Carolina.
Presented by Got to Be NC, the NC Department of Agriculture, the Chef Showdown features culinary and mixology competitors who will showcase North Carolina proteins, produce and products on the competition plates and in the craft cocktails & mocktails they present to each panel of expert judges.
“We are proud to see 2024 mark the eighth year for our annual Chef Showdown series. With this competition, the NCRLA continues to showcase the incredible talent of our chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, and distilleries from across the state,” says Lynn Minges, president and CEO. “It’s always exciting to start a new season of competition. To see the energy, creativity, and passion of all of the competitors who will feature local North Carolina ingredients as they compete, is inspiring and delicious, too.”
For these culinary and mixology competitors, it’s all about keeping it local, supporting as many North Carolina farms and producers as they can on each plate and in each glass and really taking it over the top.
Top-title winners will also go on to become members of the prestigious 2024-2025 GotToBeNC team of culinary and beverage ambassadors.
Introducing the 2024 class of North Carolina chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists and distilleries.
We can’t wait to see what happens next.
Follow our social media links at the bottom of the page for a front row seat at each round of the 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown culinary and mixology competition.
The Chefs:
- Chef Darrell Allen Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Research Triangle Park
- Chef Michael Beers River Run Country Club in Davidson
- Chef Tucker Bell Vintage House Restaurant In Hickory
- Chef Jamisen Booker The Asbury at The Dunhill Hotel Charlotte
- Chef Christopher Brown JH Adams Inn in High Point
- Chef Shawn Buskirk Cheek & Belly Catering in Holly Ridge
- Chef Richard Carter Catering Works / North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh
- Chef Marc Cavanaugh Oxford Oaks Distillery’s Verdigris Restaurant in Oxford
- Chef Jamie Chambers Angeline’s Restaurant in Charlotte
- Chef Nicholas Chavez N. Sea Oyster Company in Hampstead
- Chef Erick Crawford Chop Chop Red Pot in Charlotte
- Chef Cheyenne Cristina Leo’s Italian Social in Asheville
- Chef Kevin Davis Oceanana Pier House in Atlantic Beach
- Chef Matthew Deering Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte
- Chef Lemar Farrington Amalieä Dining & Events in Raleigh and Durham
- Chef Mark Gennrich Revel + Rations Kitchen in Swansboro
- Chef Santiago Guzzetti Ilda in Sylva
- Chef Keith Henning Black Powder Smokehouse in Jamestown and Asheboro
- Chef Heladio Hernandez Casa Oaxaco in Roxboro
- Chef Chastity Hopkins Chef Chastity Raleigh and Durham
- Chef Mauricio Huarcaya Gustu Peruano in Wilmington
- Chef Kory Hudson The Eseeola Lodge at Linville Golf Club in Linville
- Chef Christopher Lopez Glasshouse Kitchen in Raleigh
- Chef Elena Lundy EML Catering
- Chef Olajuwon Mason Aramark in Elizabeth City
- Chef Timothy McDowell Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery in Elizabethtown
- Chef Bobby McFarland Wye Hill Hospitality in Raleigh
- Chef Theresa Norris M Restaurants : M Pocha in Durham
- Chef Andres Prussing Marriott City Center Charlotte
- Chef Jordan Rainbolt Native Root Winston-Salem
- Chef Sean Riggin Seasons 52 in Raleigh
- Chef Matt Rivers Blowing Rock Country Club in Blowing Rock
- Chef Kevin Ruiz Oro Restaurant and Lounge In Raleigh
- Chef Myles Scaglione Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte
- Chef Benjamin Sullivan Cranford Hospitality in Hickory
- Chef Paul Taylor Jargon in Asheville
- Chef Kyle Teears Summit Hospitality in Raleigh
- Chef Terri Terrell Private Chef and the Director of Events for The Utopian Seed Project in Asheville
- Chef Santiago Vargas Mikasa Criolla in Asheville
- Chef Tracy Wildrick Colletta Italian Food & Wine in Cary
- Chef Malik Williams Tap@1918 in Rocky Mount
- Chef John Wilson Sophie’s Cork and Ale in Lexington
- Chef Kyle Woods Country Club Of North Carolina in Pinehurst
- Chef Queen Precious Jewel Zabriskie Indulge Catering in Franklinton
The Pastry Chefs:
- Pastry Chef Savanna Brodar The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst
- Pastry Chef Kimberly Goss Oxford Oaks Distillery’s Verdigris Restaurant in Oxford
- Pastry Chef Gerald Hawkins Jr. The Beach Shop & Grill in Topsail Beach & Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington
- Pastry Chef Winde Jackson Winde Jackson Cakes in Rocky Mount
- Pastry Chef Whitney King Restoration Hotel in Asheville
- Pastry Chef Helena Larson Oak Raleigh & O-ku in Raleigh, Colletta in Cary
- Pastry Chef Maria Luna Glasshouse Kitchen in Raleigh
- Pastry Chef Suzette Ramsey McNinch House in Charlotte
- Pastry Chef Jill Wasilewski Ivory Road in Arden
- Pastry Chef Mary Jayne Wilson Thoughtful Baking Co. in Charlotte
The Mixologists & Distilleries:
- Mixologist Logan Amick of Revival 1869 in Clayton; partnering with Weldon Mills Distillery in Weldon
- Mixologist Gustavo Bellavida of End of Days Distillery, partnering with End of Days Distillery in Wilmington
- Mixologist Jon Burritt of Chemist Spirits, partnering with Chemist Spirits in Asheville
- Mixologist Sharfiq Cosby of Revival 1869 in Clayton, partnering with Aristotle Spirits in Garner
- Mixologist Joy Dixon of Liberty & Plenty Distillery in Durham, partnering with Liberty & Plenty Distillery in Durham
- Mixologist Gregory Dreyer of Glasshouse Kitchen in Raleigh, partnering with Durham Distillery in Durham
- Mixologist Ingrid Folkers of Whiskey Kitchen in Raleigh, partnering with Outerbanks Distilling in Manteo
- Mixologist Miguel Angel Latorre, Jr. of Revival 1869 in Clayton, partnering with Broadslab Distillery in Benson
- Mixologist Adrian Lindsay of Ideal Bartending Company in Durham, partnering with 712 Vodka in Fletcher
- Mixologist Ari Lofton of Verdigris Restaurant in Oxford, partnering with Oxford Oaks Distillery in Oxford
- Mixologist Kelsey Marshall of Lonerider Spirits in Durham, partnering with Lonerider Spirits in Durham
- Mixologist Conley Marie of The Willard Rooftop Lounge in Raleigh, partnering with Mystic Farm and Distillery in Durham
- Mixologist Chris Murphy of 34 Degrees at the Beaufort Hotel in Beaufort, partnering with Southern Star Distilling in Statesville
- Mixologist Ian Murray of Cooks Mill Whiskey, partnering with Cooks Mill Whiskey in Raleigh
- Mixologist Zig Payton of Kingfisher in Durham, partnering with The Hackney Distillery in Washington
- Mixologist Elizabeth Ray of No Entry Cocktail Lounge in Hickory, partnering with City Walk Distilling in Hickory
- Mixologist Shri Tallury of Dram & Draught in Charlotte, partnering with Oaklore Distilling in Matthews
- Mixologist Ricky Watson of Catch Restaurant in Wilmington, partnering with Momentum Spirits in Wilmington
- Mixologist Kristy Whipple from Olde Raleigh Distillery, partnering with Olde Raleigh Distillery in Zebulon
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
The 2024 Action Starts Here
We’ll kick off our 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown series with five individual preliminary rounds of culinary competition and two preliminary rounds of mixology competition; followed by two semi-final regional rounds of culinary competition and two two semi-final regional rounds of mixology competition.
Each culinary competitor is invited to compete in one of five preliminary rounds of competition.
Then, based on the preliminary round judges scores and notes, 26 chefs ( 18 chefs making savory plates and 8 pastry chefs) will become 2024 Chef Showdown semi finalists and will be invited to compete in one of two regional rounds of competition.
Based on their regional round scores, only 20 of these chefs – 15 savory chefs and five pastry chefs – will be finalists and as such, will be invited to move on to compete in the 2024 NCRLA Grand Finale.
Likewise, teams of NC mixologists and distilleries will participate in one of two preliminary rounds of mixology competition.
Then, based on judges scores and notes, 10 teams of mixologists and distilleries will be invited to move on to the semi-final regional rounds of mixology competition. The top scoring six semi-finalists will be invited to stir and shake it up at the 2024 NCRLA Grand Finale.
Each of the preliminary and regional rounds of competition are private events open only to competitors, judges, media, and invited guests. The public is invited to follow along on the NCRLA Chef Showdown social media feeds on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok
The Competition Venues:
The 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.
The 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown culinary and mixology competition calendar is as follows:
- March 25 – Culinary Preliminary Round – For the Mountain region at AB Tech Community College Culinary School in Asheville
- April 8 – Mixology Preliminary Round – For Eastern NC – at Vidrio in Raleigh
- April 22 Culinary Preliminary Round – At the Coast at Carteret Community College Culinary School in Morehead City
- April 29 – Mixology Preliminary Round – For Western NC at Broad Branch Distillery in Winston-Salem NC
- May 6 – Culinary Preliminary Round – For the Triad at Wilkes Community College Culinary School, Wilkesboro
- May 13 – Culinary Preliminary Round – In Metrolina at Central Piedmont Community College Culinary School in Charlotte
- June 10 – Culinary Preliminary Round – In the Triangle at Wake Tech Community College School of Baking and Pastry Arts in Raleigh
- June 17 – Mixology Semi-Final Regional Round – For Western NC at Merle’s Cocktail Bar in Wilkesboro
- July 1 – Mixology Semi-Final Regional Round – For Eastern NC at Native Fine Diner in Greenville
- July 15 – Culinary Semi-Final Regional Round- For Western NC at Central Piedmont Community College Culinary School in Charlotte
- July 29 – Culinary Semi-Final Regional Round – For Eastern NC at Wake Tech Community College School of Baking and Pastry Arts in Raleigh
- August 26 – 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco District in Durham, NC
The 2024 Undeniably Dairy Awards:
Also a part of the 2024 competition, four “Undeniably Dairy Awards” will be awarded to the chef, pastry chef and bartender who best showcased the use of NC cow’s milk dairy products in the savory plates, the desserts and in cocktails and mocktails, they present to judges during the season. Competitors are not required to use dairy products in their competition dishes and cocktails, but if they do, they are eligible to be considered for one of these four awards to be presented by The Dairy Alliance to be announced in early August 2024.
The 2024 Born in the Carolinas Awards presented by Pepsi
This year’s NEW “Born in the Carolinas Awards” will be awarded to the chef, pastry chef and bartender who best showcases the use of any Pepsi product cleverly and creatively incorporated into the ingredients in a savory plates, dessert and in cocktails and mocktails, presented to judges during the season. Competitors are not required to use Pepsi products in their competition dishes, cocktails and mocktails; but if they do, they are eligible to be considered for one of these four awards to be presented by Pepsi. These four award winners will be announced in early August 2024.
2024 People’s Choice Awards
After all the 2024 NCRLA Chef Showdown preliminary and semi-final regional rounds of culinary and mixology competition have come and gone, 15 chefs creating savory plates, five pastry chefs and six mixologists, each representing a partner NC Distillery, will move on to cook for the public at the August 26 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale. There, every competitor has a chance to win People’s Choice Award honors for Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail and Best Mocktail.
About NCRLA
The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) NCRLA is the driving force behind the state’s $30 billion hospitality industry. The mission is to Protect, Educate, and Promote the North Carolina hospitality industry. To learn more information about NCRLA or its membership opportunities and cost-saving benefits, please visit www.ncrla.org.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Past Winners
Competition Rules
Let’s Be Social
Follow the preliminary and regional round action and see each of the dishes and cocktails created this year on the NCRLA Chef Showdown social media feeds.