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.
