Team Indiana returned home this week after sending three team members to their respective finals at the World Food Championship. Two Team Indiana chefs, Turon Cummings and Jennifer Norem, earned runner-up honors while Chef Justin Miller placed seventh. All three competitors, plus 2017 World Chef Champion Craig Baker, are automatically qualified for the 2020 World Food Championships. Despite leaving Dallas without an individual champion, Team Indiana has a significant part to play in the staging of this year’s Final Table—scheduled for May 8-10 in Indianapolis.
Turon Cummings, a resident of Whiting, IN, came second in the
World Burger Championship with a mango, pineapple, and bacon
burger. Fellow Northern Indiana competitor Jennifer Norem (Knox, IN)
placed second in the Bacon World Championship, with a Southwest-inspired
meatball taco.
Chef Jennifer Norem competed alongside her family. She took home second place honors in the Bacon World Championship.
Rounding out the finalists was Indianapolis Chef Justin Miller,
who finished seventh in the World Recipe Championship with a braised pork belly
taco dish.
Eight Hoosier chefs qualified for the 2019 World Food
Championships and represented Team Indiana, which received support
from Indiana Tourism, Clustertruck, Indiana Kitchen, Indiana Grown, Red
Gold, Piazza Produce, and The Agency Worldwide. They were visited in Dallas by
Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who attended the event and
joined WFC CEO Mike McCloud to announce the selection of Indianapolis as host
for The Final Table.
“Our capital city and the entire State of Indiana welcomes the World Food Championships and we are proud to have this unique opportunity to showcase the ‘Culinary Crossroads of America’”
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch
The ten category champions crowned over the weekend will travel to
Indianapolis this spring and compete for $100,000 and the title of World Food
Champion.
Team Indiana will work closely with WFC leadership to ensure that
the people, products, services, and destinations which make up Indiana’s
Culinary Landscape are incorporated into both The Final Table competition and
the simultaneous production of the television program.
Handcrafted tamales from Chef Justin Miller landed him in the Top 10 of the World Recipe Championship.
Team Indiana’s participation in Dallas, and the announcement of The Final Table event are part of the ongoing Culinary Crossroads initiative.
Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch announced today that a talented and diverse group of Hoosier culinary professionals and amateur home cooks will compete in the 2019 World Food Championships in Dallas, Texas this October 16-20.
Team Indiana is the first initiative for Culinary Crossroads, a new and ongoing branding campaign focused on raising awareness of the personalities, products, services and attractions that comprise Indiana’s culinary landscape.
“Team Indiana features a wide selection of the most creative and talented chefs and home cooks our state has to offer,” Crouch said. “Their participation in the rapidly expanding world of food sport, and specifically the World Food Championships, will introduce the Culinary Crossroads brand to the international stage.”
Prior to the 2019 World Food Championships in October, Team Indiana will take their show on the road, hosting public events across the state this summer, including activities at the Indiana State Fair this August.
Crouch is focused on the important role Team Indiana and the Culinary Crossroads branding effort will play in attracting the skilled professionals needed to fuel Indiana’s growing economy.
“We are blessed with a phenomenal community of chefs, farmers, ranchers and food retailers throughout Indiana,” Crouch said. “Raising awareness of these talented individuals and organizations is a critical ingredient in making our state a tremendous place to live, work and play.”
Crouch said that as the state develops the Culinary Crossroads brand, it will continue to share stories with consumers around the country and provide this information to Indiana businesses to assist in their respective talent recruitment efforts.
Indianapolis chefs Craig Baker of Nostalgia Catering and Cindy Hawkins of Circle City Sweets will play leading roles for Team Indiana.
“Indiana’s food culture has matured significantly over the past decade and we’re proud as members of Team Indiana to showcase a diverse array of chefs and cooks from across the state at the World Food Championships,” Baker said.
“It’s a great honor and opportunity to take our team members’ shared passion for food and use it to promote all that Indiana has to offer,” Hawkins said. “Team Indiana is a collaborative effort and we are very thankful for all the support.”
