NCRLA’s Chef Showdown is North Carolina’s premiere culinary and mixology competition of the year.
RALEIGH, N.C. (Apr. 8, 2021) – The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) proudly announces the fifth annual NCRLA Chef Showdown, North Carolina’s premiere culinary and mixology competition of the year.
This annual competition is designed to promote and spotlight the talent of chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists across North Carolina. Presented by Got To Be NC Agriculture, the Chef Showdown features competitors who will use North Carolina ingredients in their creations. “Chef Showdown is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible talent of the North Carolina hospitality industry,” said Lynn Minges, President & CEO of NCRLA. “We are excited to once again celebrate the creativity and innovation of our remarkable chefs and mixologists across the state,” she added.
The preliminary rounds of competition will feature 48 chefs and pastry chefs from across the state who have been selected to cook their way through the first step on the road to the 2021 win for the coveted titles of NCRLA Chef of the Year and NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year to be awarded at the competition’s Grand Finale on August 9, 2021, at Bay 7 in Durham, NC.
For a list of the talented chefs and pastry chefs competing in the NCRLA Chef Showdown preliminary rounds, click here.
See the six talented NC mixologists, each representing an individual North Carolina distillery, who will shake and stir things up for the crowd at the NCRLA Chef Showdown’s August 9 Grand Finale here. In the process they will compete for People’s Choice honors and the title of 2021 NCRLA Distillery & Mixologist of the Year.
The preliminary rounds of the 2021 NCRLA Chef Showdown series are for chefs and judges only and are not open to the public; however, media is invited to attend. The preliminary rounds are scheduled as follows:
- April 26 – Carteret Community College │ Morehead City
- May 17 – Central Piedmont Community College │ Charlotte
- June 7 – Bobby Boy Bake Shop │ Winston-Salem
- June 14 – Wake Tech Baking & Pastry Arts │ Raleigh
Preliminary judges’ scores narrow the field of competitors to 20 chefs who will cook for the win in one of two semi-final regional rounds of competition to be held in July. The same 20 chefs move on to cook for the public and a chance at People’s Choice honors at the Aug 9, 2021, Grand Finale in Durham, NC.
Tickets for the August 9 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale go on sale June 21, 2021. Mark your calendars now. This is an event you won’t want to miss. Join in the fun and you be the judge, as you taste and sip your way through this spectacular evening of local food and drink.
About NCRLA
The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) serves to advance and protect the interests of more than 20,000 businesses that employ 11 percent of the state’s workforce and generate more than $27.3 billion in sales annually. To learn more information about NCRLA or its membership opportunities and cost-saving benefits, please visit www.ncrla.org.
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Katie Davis
Largemouth Communications
katie@largemouthpr.com
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