It was a gray, rainy Monday in May; but that didn’t stop the flavor from showing up in full force.
Our Chef Showdown team, some of our sponsors, ten amazing chefs and a trio of fabulous judges braved the weather to enjoy a spectacular day.
Inside the Philip Van Every Building at CPCC in Uptown Charlotte, the kitchen buzzed with talent, teamwork, and tasty competition.
The 2025 NCRLA Chef Showdown Charlotte round of competition marks the 2nd preliminary round in the 2025 statewide culinary competition
Competing in this Chef Showdown Charlotte Preliminary Round
- Chef Chris Childs, Kaioken Labs, Charlotte
- Chef Olajuwon Mason, Viking Dining/Aramark, Elizabeth City
- Chef Eric Crays, Chef Crays Community Harvest & Private Events, Charlotte
- Pastry Chef Oscar Johnson, Jimmy Pearls Chesapeake Kitchen, Charlotte
- Chef Lance Cook, Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem
- Chef Chase Young, Union Barbecue, Charlotte
- Chef Keith Henning, Black Powder Smokehouse, Jamestown & Asheboro
- Chef Tchnavia Carter, Community Matters Café, Charlotte
- Chef Allen Evans, ET Catering, Charlotte
- Pastry Chef Josh Dobson, Peppervine, Charlotte
Every chef and pastry chef brought their A-game and really turned up the heat, presenting a dazzling lineup of original dishes and creative desserts that celebrated local ingredients and next-level technique.
At the Judges’ Table
- Chef Jeremy Bevins, Corporate Chef, US Foods
- Pastry Chef Juston Fry, Chef and Owner, JF Chocolates in Charlotte and Founder of the National Pastry Conference
- Chef Beth Thompson-Peace, Director of CPCC’s Culinary & Pastry Arts Department and our gracious host for the day
This event simply wouldn’t have been possible without the enthusiastic support of our incredible sponsors. A huge thank you to Martin’s Distribution, a longtime champion of local restaurants and chefs, for sponsoring the Judges’ Table and keeping our tasting panel well-supplied.
Same thanks goes to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, who continue to be tireless advocates for the Queen City’s ever-growing food scene.
And our sincere thanks to The Dunhill Hotel in Uptown Charlotte, long time Chef Showdown supporters, who opened their doors and offered a warm, elegant welcome to traveling members of our team for the night.
Keeping it Local
And let’s not forget the heart of this competition: the ingredients. These 10 chefs proudly showcased products from 88 different North Carolina farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food producers. That’s 88 local reasons to keep shopping, sourcing, and supporting proteins, products and produce that North Carolina- grown and made. I can’t tell you how important it is to me that the use of local products and the support of GotToBeNC farmers and producers is such a big part of this competition.
The competition is heating up, and we’re just getting started.
Next week, the road to the Aug 4, 2025 Grand Finale in Durham, takes us to the coast for the Morehead City preliminary round of competition at Carteret Community College.
Tickets On Sale
While we all wait to see what happens next, here is some more exciting news. Tickets for the Aug 4 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale which will take place at Bay 7 in Durham go on sale on May 14, 2025. Tickets will be on sale via the digital portal at NCChefShowdown.com
It’s an evening you don’t want to miss. These tickets are a hot item, so grab yours today. Call your friends, save the date and make plans to enjoy the best evening of eating and drinking locally that you’ll have all year.