WFC Partners with American Culinary Federation on Enhancements to Judging Process

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Posted Jul 11, 2024

Indianapolis, IN (July 11, 2024) The World Food Championships (WFC) announced that they have partnered with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) to bring another dimension to their judging process with the addition of ACF-certified judges. ACF judges will serve as Master Judges, roaming the Kitchen Arena to watch the competitors for technique, process, organization, and many other key metrics of success. Additionally, an ACF Judge will be included at every table in the judging room in Indianapolis, Indiana during the competition from November 8-12.

ACF judges will complement and enhance The World Food Championships’ own proprietary judging methodology, E.A.T. (Execution, Appearance, and Taste), by adding another layer of sophistication and enhanced certification. All judges for 2024 will be required to attend Food Champ University, which is scheduled to be held onsite in Indianapolis on Friday, November 8th, 2024, where judging criteria will be outlined and reinforced.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the American Culinary Federation – their history of success and reputation is well known and respected in our industry,” said Mike McCloud, Founder of the World Food Championships. “We’re very proud of the E.A.T. judging system we’ve created and successfully employed for over a decade; but as we see increasingly complex dishes with many international flairs, the ACF will help us to evolve as a culinary organization while staying true to our Food Sport roots.”

“We are implementing and utilizing the expertise of ACF approved judges to be Master Judges for this year’s World Food Championship from the American Culinary Federations,” added ACF National President Rene J. Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC. “Our goal is to complement the judging system they already have in place and help them to continue to grow as an organization when it comes to top-of-the-line competitive cooking and judging.”

Since its debut in 2012, WFC has amassed a tremendous worldwide following, providing a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at its events, as well as numerous live and made-for-TV shows. In addition to popularizing competitive cooking, the WFC platform has had an undeniable impact on the food industry, facilitating the creation of more than 10,000 new dishes and supporting communities via partnerships with various local non-profits, charities, and food banks throughout the United States. In short, the WFC platform has given birth to “Food Sport” by providing a level playing field, a fair judging system, innovative culinary programming, ambassador opportunities, TV visibility and a process that allows talented culinary teams to compete in ways never seen. The 2024 World Food Championships will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 8-12, with qualifying events being conducted throughout the year.

About World Food Championships
The World Food Championships (WFC) is the premier food sport competition globally. This multi-day, live culinary event features some of the world's best cooks competing for food, fame, and fortune in twelve categories: Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Live Fire, Noodle, Rice, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup and Vegetarian. Annually, thousands of cook teams vie for a Golden Ticket at official qualifiers to secure their place in the WFC. Since its inception in 2012, the event has seen participation from nearly 40 countries and every state in the U.S. The 2024 World Food Championships will be held on November 8-12 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in Indianapolis. For more information, visit WorldFoodChampionships.com.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With more than 12,000 members spanning more than 150 chapters nationwide, ACF is the leading culinary association offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef®, Certified Sous Chef®, Certified Executive Pastry Chef® and Certified Culinary Educator® designations accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to Chef & Child, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, X and digital content hub WeAreChefs.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Michael Hand
Chief Marketing Officer, World Food Championships
Phone: 585.348.1287, Email: mhand@worldfoodchampionships.com

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WFC Partners with American Culinary Federation on Enhancements to Judging Process

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