The Final Table Of The World Food Championship Judges, Bentonville| A Home Of Flavors And Expertise

Out of all the world competitions associated with food sports, none come close to the World Food Championships (WFC). This multi-day event features heaven’s finest chefs battling it out in order to earn compliments on their cooking, as well as a plethora of awards. WFC has drawn contestants from 40 different countries and all US states ever since it started in 2012. For the year 2025, the World Food Championships will take place from the 16th to the 19th of October at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavillion located in the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, Indianapolis. Bentonville, AR (March 4, 2025) – Buckle up because the WFC is here to announce the judges of the astonishing franchise that will supervise “Final Table: Bentonville,” a cooking contest which will be held at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food on March 29-30, 2025. With the support of Sam’s Club, the competition features all twelve category champions of WFC 2024, who will battle it out for the title of World Food Champion and the grand prize of $150,000.

These judges, representing food fine dining, food media, live fire cooking and sustainable cuisine are some of the greatest chefs across the globe. We are certain that they will help tremendously with their keen decision making and extensive knowledge in the contestant’s tactics, creativity, and craftsmanship during the overwhelming series of elimination rounds.

Meet The Architects Of Culinary Destiny,

The Judges Of Final Table 2025,

Chef Katie Dixon

Her television appearances on Master Chef and Food Network Star have established her as a prominent figure in the industry, and as a vibrant chef, Katie Dixon displays a passion towards cooking that positively affects her clients and the public. She will bring to the judging panel sophisticated and delicate taste with her use of fresh wholesome ingredients.

Chef Soerke Peters

A champion of sustainable, farm-to-table cuisine, Chef Soerke Peters of Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar in Bentonville is native German which means his food is precise and exhibits a very simply beautiful form. Peters will expectedly offer farm fresh leads to his guests and his discerning palate and skilful hands will be put to the test during his hosting and jury role in the Taste & Recreate challenge.

Chef Chris Tanner

As Executive Director of one the most respected culinary judging organizations worldwide, American Culinary Federation, chef Tanner will need no introduction to the rest of the world because his unparalleled experience in culinary education, fine-dining, and judging brings with him great respect and that of course goes hand in hand with head chef responsibilities in the world class competitions.

Chef Casey Higgins

Sam’s Club’s very own Chef Higgins is a culinary innovators specializing in food product development and food trend analyses. His ingredient selection and execution understanding will be important in judging the competitors’ capabilities in developing successful dishes for the retail and foodservice markets.

Chef Erica Roby

Chef Roby is a live-fire cooking superstar and Food Network’s Master of ‘Cue. As a champion competitor herself, she understands the pressure cooker environment at the Final Table and will look out for dishes that impress on both execution and taste.

Chef Marshall Shafkowitz

Chef Shafkowitz, Executive Director of Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, leads in culinary education innovation. He will offer assistance judging the compettors’ dishes for technical execution alongside his evaluation of creative and artistic expression.

Chef Tim Ordway

Known as the Executive Chef at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Chef Ordway is different from his peers due to his gracious hospitality accompanying his distinctive culinary creations. His sophisticated sense of proportions of ingredients in dish’s color, flavor, and overall presentation will help mark the World Food Champion.

Final Table: Bentonville – Where Great Chefs are Forged,

Sponsored by Sam’s Club, the location of the competition, Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, will force the 12 contestants to fight through brutal rounds of elimination, which have been sequentially organized this way to help the contestants at the start and make it harder for them as they go deeper into the competition. At the same time, the best cooks in the world will also teach and display the rich culinary history of the region.
There will also be multiple new preset challenges. “Retail Gourmet” transforms Sam’s Club ingredients into gourmet dishes. Mezzaluna Pasteria will hold a Taste and Replicate challenge where contestants taste a dish and attempt to duplicate it. Finales will also have a challenge called “My Culinary Journey,” which allows contestants to sculpt dishes based around their interpretation of the contest.

“Considering the tremendous selection panel we have in place, I am certainly excited with regards to our next World Food Champion. From each of these culinary experts, I know we shall receive the best and most insightful input and so they along with us make certain that our 12 World champion earns the title for real based on skill, creativity and execution,” said Mike McCloud, Founder of WFC.
After this major event, the WFC will once again come to Indianapolis, Indian for the 2025 Main Event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in October. The boss, Andrew C. Wright, will again open a stunning prize pool of $450,000 cash and prizes, which hundreds of teams aim to compete for.
To remain updated with the World Food Championships and “Final Table: Bentonville”, navigate to their website worldfoodchampionships.com or follow WFC on social platforms.

So, a blend of skill and palate is about to be revealed in the ‘final: Table Bentonville.’ Not only is the setting built by the twelve champion contestants, judges who have astonishingly deep gastronomic knowledge also build it. The contestants are world class chefs with a mosaic of skill sets who will illuminate the Brightwater stage. They are led by Chef Katie Dixon, and with her are Chef Soerke Peters, Chef Chris Tanner, Chef Casey Higgins, Chef Erica Roby, Chef Marshall Shafkowitz and finally Chef Tim Ordway. The panel is considered the best of the best when it comes to culinary arts, if I may say, set the norm.
An innovation-intensive mastery in craft makes them experts, while their expert guidance will help the champion in achieving his rightful place, the pinnacle of culinary glory. It is these culinary maestros under whom the contestants have the daunting challenge of going beyond cooking to metamorphose ingredients and flavors into true representations of themselves. This panel, Mike McCloud made sure, the winners of the reigns with mastery in skill, creativity and art fused with effortless craftsmanship will not be in doubt.

Approaching scope of every competition in essence moves away from self-focus and shifts to honoring of the one and only culinary discipline. With the American food culture under siege, the Grand prize in Indianapolis became the set target for the World Food Championships. Stunning Bentonville flaunts the fact that it enchants chefs with the notion that the chase for having exceptional culinary skill is perpetual and most importantly, beautiful. ‘Final Table: Bentonville’ could just as easily be shortened to a simple tilt, suggestive of the competition of creating the most outstanding dish there is in the world.