Restaurants & Bars

Ready, Set, Chow! The World Food Championship Descends On Dallas

It's one of the widest-ranging cooking competitions anywhere, and it's coming to Fair Park in November.

DALLAS, TX — The most anticipated event in the food sport industry —the World Food Championships (WFC) —is returning November 5-7 at its new location of Dallas' Fair Park.

The event, which features 20-plus taste experiences, from “Grilling Grannies” to exclusive, award-winning VIP tastings, has been dubbed by ABC News as "the Olympics of Food.”

WFC’s five-day throwdown presents a series of foodie attractions for attendees while also hosting more than 1,500 cooks, ranging from celebrity chefs to pro teams to home cooks, in major “food fights” that will reward the winners with a $300,000 prize purse.

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The World Food Championships (WFC) is the highest stakes food competition in the world. This multi-day, live event culinary competition showcases some of the world's best cooks who compete for food, fame and fortune in 10 categories (Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Recipe, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup and Steak).

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In 2019, more than 450 culinary teams from 11 countries and 42 American states competed in WFC’s Main Event. In August, the 10 Category Champs went head-to-head for a $100,000 bonus that determined a new World Food Champion in a TV special called The Final Table: Indianapolis.

The official WFC 2021 Flavor Fest line-up not only features returning favorites, but also introduces new events intended to blow your minds (and taste buds). Contestants earn their way into WFC by winning a Golden Ticket at a previous competition, and potential judges are welcome to take WFC’s online certification course that explains the E.A.T. methodology.

Certified judges then request and receive available seats at the next scheduled WFC event. (Click here to learn more about getting certified.)

“As Texas and the world open back up, it’s exciting to know that we’ll be able to put our additional planning and strategies in play for the most robust and fun-filled food fest we’ve ever produced,” says Mike McCloud, President and CEO of WFC.

“Plus, even though we’re still five months out from the actual dates, we have already seen an enormous amount of momentum on the competition side with more than 40 states represented in our team count and almost all of our judging positions already filled.”

Events Include:

BBQ Ranch: Back by popular demand, WFC and its barbecue partners will be serving up free fixins for Texas-sized appetites. Pitmasters and celebrity chefs will fire up thousands of pounds of barbecue from the hottest grills and barbecue pits on the market for foodies to savor and enjoy. This ranch-style block party will be one of the most unique barbecue bashes in WFC history.

Beat the Beefer: The inventors of the original Beefer are coming back to WFC to give its Steak competitors the chance to win extra cash using their German-based, top-down searing machine that generates a stunning 1,500 degrees of Fahrenheit heat within seconds.

Biscuits & Jampionships: WFC has once again partnered with the Dallas-based jam and jelly company, The Jelly Queens, to bring back the “Biscuits and Jampionships” ancillary chef competition. Determined through an online recipe contest months prior, ten finalists recreate their recipe submissions in person at WFC for an esteemed panel of judges. This quirky contest is always full of surprises, thanks to the lovable Jelly Queen herself, Donna Collins. Standing by for leftovers is one of the perks of this event.

Bourb’N’Que: What do you get when you mix premium bourbon tastings with ribs prepared by the best pitmasters in America? The best barbecue block party - and People’s Choice voting - Dallas has ever seen (or tasted)! If you’re a foodie who loves barbecue and bourbon, then this is a WFC must-attend event!

Brunch Bar: Here, the food fest takes on brunch. This new foodie experience will have attendees sipping mimosas at the Bubble Bar, grabbing coffee from the Cattle Dog Coffee Corner, indulging in savory drinks at the Bloody Mary Bar and more.

E.A.T. Food Judge Class –– An interactive event where attendees are trained by a WFC associate or professional chef on the E.A.T.™ methodology, which is WFC’s scoring system that enables judges to rank any dish based on three key criteria: execution, appearance and taste. Only foodies who are E.A.T. certified are eligible to judge at WFC’s Main Event. As a bonus, all judges will receive free WFC General Admission access throughout the five-day event.

Fire Woman: 90 minutes, and four award-winning female pitmasters take on one challenge with zero help. See who will rise from the smoke to take home the Fire Woman title and cash prize.

Hall of Taste: This is a new area to Food Sport, where WFC attendees can sample a variety of complimentary food-related products as they enter the gateway to Kitchen Arena. From exclusive Texas bites to hidden gems throughout America and the world, this area will warm up palettes as the perfect prep for the sights, sounds and smells of WFC.

VIP Lounge –– Want to sip and savor in comfort while taking in all the WFC action? Then the VIP Lounge is your best bet! Attendees will enjoy a separate entrance to the main event, a private cash bar, TV screens to keep up to date on all of the action, complimentary chef demos and sampling, featured cocktails & refreshments, and more!

Tickets start at $15 and are available HERE.


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