If there was every a time to say “Tell Them Heidi Sent You” this is it. Its the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale. In Durham NC at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus, from 6-8:30 pm. This is the best night of eating and drinking locally in North Carolina, celebrating the culmination of the 10th year of NCRLA Chef Showdown competition. You know I would never steer you wrong, but don’t just take my word for it. Get tickets now and come and see for yourself!
After 11 rounds of culinary and mixology preliminary and regional round competition this Spring and Summer, 26 finalists from across the state are all now vying for the four top awards, the 2026 championship titles of NCRLA Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Mixologist of the Year and Distillery of the Year.
Don’t Miss It! Get Your Tickets Today!
The Grand Finale brings together 15 savory chefs, five pastry chefs and six mixology-distillery teams, who will serve guests tasting-sized portions of their competition dishes, desserts, cocktails and spirit-free cocktails. These chefs and mixologists come from across the state to represent restaurants, farms, distilleries and local businesses.
What started as a small one-night event 10 years ago, has become a celebration of everything that makes North Carolina hospitality special: the people, the places, and the products grown, raised and made right here in North Carolina, Ten years in, the talent and heart of the people in this industry still never cease to amaze me. I can’t wait to bring everyone together to celebrate this milestone season.
“This year’s competition has demonstrated once again the incredible depth of culinary and beverage talent we have across North Carolina,” said Allen Thomas, President & CEO of NCRLA. “We’re excited to celebrate their accomplishments in Durham and recognize the 2026 Chef Showdown champions, while giving friends, family and hospitality fans from across the state an opportunity to cheer them on.”
At the September 2 Grand Finale, four competitors will be welcomed into the Hall of Champions. One chef, one pastry chef, one mixologist and one NC distillery. These titles were determined by our 2026 regional round judges, all past champions. The NCRLA Chef Showdown Hall of Champions is powered this year by our Pinnacle Sponsor, Cheney Brothers.
The four titles:
- NCRLA Chef of the Year
- NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year
- NCRLA Mixologist of the Year
- NCRLA Distillery of the Year
Meet the Finalists
2026 NCRLA Chef of the Year Finalists
- Chef Roberto Barth, Vidrio, Raleigh
- Chef Michael Bowens, Haven at Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock
- Chef Lewis Donald, Sweet Lew’s BBQ, Charlotte
- Chef Matt Hannon, Ashten’s, Southern Pines
- Chef Bobby McFarland, Wye Hill, Raleigh
- Chef Taylor Montgomery, Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester
- Chef Matt Moore, Customshop, Charlotte
- Chef James “JP” Patterson, Porter’s Neck Country Club, Wilmington
- Chef Ben Real, Cypress Hall, New Bern
- Chef Spyros Skellas, Taverna Agora, Raleigh
- Chef Brandon Staton, Supperland, Charlotte
- Chef John Tharp, Spotted Cow Steakhouse, Winston-Salem
- Chef Ericka Torres, STOKE at the Marriott Charlotte City Center, Charlotte
- Chef Jason Trivette, Chef Trivette’s Conceptions, Hickory
- Chef Chase Young, Hopfly Brewing, Asheville
Pastry Chef of the Year Finalists
- Pastry Chef Makala Beaver, King Neptune, Wrightsville Beach
- Pastry Chef Charmaine Lizette Eclain Devine, Sugo Italian Steakhouse, Wilmington
- Pastry Chef Josh Dobson, Deepwell, Mooresville
- Pastry Chef Becky Keil, Porter’s Neck Country Club, Wilmington
- Pastry Chef Lei Van Note, STOKE at the Marriott Charlotte City Center, Charlotte
Mixology & Distillery Finalists
- Zach Benson – Supperland in Charlotte | Outerbanks Distilling in Manteo
- Margaret Boerner –Sovereign Remedies in Asheville | Chemist Spirits in Asheville
- Jeremy Powers – The Hackney in Washington | 1000 Piers Gin at the Hackney Distillery in Washington
- Ashley Sarkis – Yunta Nikkei in Charlotte | Muddy River Distillery in Mount Holly
- Hanna Troedsson – Weldon Mills in Durham | Weldon Mills Distillery in Durham
- Everette Young – Daingerfields at the Westglow Spa in Blowing Rock | Broadslab Distillery in Benson
Celebrating Local Ingredients
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture is the presenting sponsor of the NCRLA Chef Showdown and they have been there since the very beginning. Each year competitors are charged with highlighting as much local product as possible in their competition dishes, drinks and desserts.
Throughout the 2026 preliminary and semifinal rounds, chefs and mixologists were judged by former NCRLA Chef Showdown champions and some of the most respected names in the state’s culinary scene. Judging focused on presentation, taste and the use of local North Carolina ingredients.
From the start of this year’s competition on into the 2026 Grand Finale, this year’s competitors have proudly showcased ingredients from over 600 different North Carolina farmers and producers over 1,000 different times. This is an amazing nod to the agricultural industry in our state, and proof of how easy it is to eat and drink locally. I am so proud to have been a part of it all.
This year’s winners and first runner’s up will join the 2026-27 Got to Be NC team of Culinary and Beverage Ambassadors, furthering their role in promoting and supporting the North Carolina Agricultural Department’s efforts to advocate for and promote North Carolina food and beverage products across the state.
These are the chefs and mixologists you will see on stage at the NC State Fair, at the annual events like the NC Seafood Festival and Dinner in the Gap, and representing North Carolina Agriculture at other event across the Southeast.
The Dairy Alliance Dairy Does More Awards
I do a lot of work for the Dairy Alliance, a non-profit supporting dairy farming families across the Southeastern United States, and I’m proud to have them as a longtime sponsors of the NCRLA Chef Showdown.
For the past several years, their support has added another dimension to the annual NCRLA Chef Showdown competition. Each year, The Dairy Does More Awards recognizes four Grand Finale competitors. These are the chefs, pastry chefs and mixologists who featured North Carolina dairy in particularly creative and delicious ways. These competition dishes, desserts and drinks help to shine a spotlight on North Carolina dairy farming families and all they produce.
From local buttermilk to ice cream, whole milk to yogurt, you will be amazed at how these talented chefs (and mixologists) have featured local dairy products in the competition. This year, The Dairy Alliance CEO, Farrah Newberry will be on hand to help present the awards and join in the 10th year celebration.
You, too, Can Cook Like a Champion with North Carolina Milk
You can read more in a couple of articles I penned for The Dairy Alliance website. Both were inspired by past NCRLA Chef Showdown finalists. Read all about how to make Milk Crumb here. And then learn more about the fine art of Milk Washing cocktails here.
But, I digress, let’s get back to all you can expect at the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale.
The NCRLA Chef Showdown People’s Choice Awards
There are lots of reasons that coming to the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale in person is so much fun. Not only do you get to taste all of the savory dishes, all of the desserts and each of the cocktails featuring local North Carolina spirits and each of the Spirit-Free Cocktails – thats all just a given. But, you get to weigh in and vote for your favorites as well!
Live, the evening of Sept 2, Grand Finale attendees can cast their votes for their favorites in the People’s Choice Awards, this year powered by Sysco. You vote as you sip and sample your way through the room. Voting will take place across four separate categories: Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail featuring NC Spirits and Best Spirit-Free Cocktail.
Consider your tickets to this amazing annual event an all-access pass to a celebration of North Carolina food and drink.
My friends at Triangle Around Town have written a great peice on What to Expect at the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale. And they have some great tips for how to approach the People’s Choice tasting and voting. You can read more here.
The evening is a walk-around tasting, where guests will sample bite-sized versions of every finalist’s savory dish, dessert and crafted competition cocktails. These are the same dishes our chefs and pastry chefs presented to the judges. And have I mentioned, there will be a wine bar featuring award-winning pours as well?
The NC Wine Bar
And did we mention the NC Wine Bar? Guests may sip and swirl though a dozen plus award-winning pours. Not only will you be drinking these NC wines but you will meet the people behind each bottle. That’s right, NC wine makers who will be there pouring and telling you more about their vineyards, their wineries and their award-winning NC wines, meads and ciders.
Throughout the evening, NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale guests will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with friends, meet the finalists, hobknob with the winemakers and enjoy the locally sourced food and drink. All this while celebrating the 10th anniversary of one of NCRLA’s signature events.
Whether you’re coming to support a hometown favorite, celebrate with a colleague or simply experience some of the best food and beverages North Carolina has to offer, the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale is the place to be on September 2, 2026.
The chefs and mixologists are ready to roll – the only thing missing is YOU!
More Great Press on the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown
Read, listen and watch more about it all here. Then, stay tuned for more later on in the week. Everyone is talking about the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale!:
With Ken Smith , Heidi Billotto and NCRLA Allen Thomas at WRAL:
Talking about the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown with WRALs Ken Smith
At Unpretentious Palate: Chef Showdown celebrates ten years and Charlotte chefs contend for Chef of the Year
On the NC Wine Guys podcast, Cork Talk – this podcast is also about the 50th Anniversary of Duplin Winery – its a fascinating story. I then my interview comes in at 47:48 – listen to it all at http://ncwineguys.com/index.php/50-years-of-duplin-wine/. You’ll also here a fun ” Get Your Tickets Now ad, at the top of every one of the NC Wine Guys Podcasts.”
On The Jamie Jeff Feed podcast – listen at https://jeff-jamie-feed.cohostpodcasting.com/episodes/connecting-a-culinary-community or watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–szXT-ixMs&t=1142s
At the Feast Wilmington website: https://feastwilmington.com/wilmington-chefs-prepare-for-ncrla-chef-showdown-finale/
On The Dairy Alliance Website: Join The Dairy Alliance at the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown
More at Triangle Around Town: 10 Thing to Know: A First Timers Guide to the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale . Heidi Billotto: A Decade Behind the NCRLA Chef Showdown and Chad Blackwelder: The Man Connecting North Carolina Chefs With the Farmers Behind Their Food More to come: Dathan and Jennifer are also interviewing all of our mixology finalists, stay tuned.
In Midtown Magazine: NCRLA Chef Showdown: 10 Years of Celebrating NC