The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) is hosting its tenth Chef Showdown on September 2, 2026. Presented by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, this annual competition promotes and spotlights the talent of chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and the local products available across the state of North Carolina.

The 2026 preliminary rounds of culinary competition featured talented North Carolina chefs and pastry chefs vying for high honors in this year’s Showdown. In the preliminary rounds, chefs and mixologists compete in culinary and mixology preliminary competitions. Chefs whip up savory or sweet creations, while mixologists, each paired with an NC distillery, blend craft cocktails and mocktails with flair. Then the semi-finals begin, which are determined by scores from the preliminary rounds. There, eighteen chefs and eight pastry chefs compete in one of two regional culinary semi-final rounds. Only twelve mixology teams move on to the semi-finals to compete for a shot at one of six spots in the Grand Finale.

Following the preliminary and semi-final rounds, 20 of these chefs – 15 savory chefs and five pastry chefs – will be finalists, as well as 6 teams of mixologists and distilleries. The Grand Finale culminates on September 2 at Bay 7 in Durham, North Carolina. This is the only round of competition that is open to the public, drawing 500+ attendees eager for a taste of local cuisine. From these finalists will be named the NCRLA Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Mixologist & Distillery of the Year, and Best Mocktail of the Year.

Two additional sets of awards will be announced at the Grand Finale: the People’s Choice Awards and the Dairy Does More Awards. The People’s Choice Awards, powered by Sysco, recognize fan favorites for Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail, and Best Mocktail. The Dairy Does More Awards presented by The Dairy Alliance honors competitors who creatively use North Carolina real dairy products in their dishes and drinks. While dairy use isn’t mandatory for general entries in the Showdown, those incorporating it can win one of four awards presented by The Dairy Alliance at the Grand Finale: Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail, and Best Mocktail. We will be sure to highlight 2026 contestants and Dairy Does More winners using tasty North Carolina dairy foods in their dishes.

This year’s competitors in the Grand Finale are:

2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Finalists

Savory Finalists

Chef Roberto Barth — Vidrio, Raleigh

Chef Michael Bowens — Haven at Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock

Chef Lewis Donald — Sweet Lew's BBQ, Charlotte

Chef Matt Hannon — Ashten's, Southern Pines

Chef Bobby McFarland — Wye Hill, Raleigh

Chef Taylor Montgomery — Montgomery Sky Farm, Leicester

Chef Matt Moore — Customshop, Charlotte

Chef James "JP" Patterson — Porter's Neck Country Club, Wilmington

Chef Ben Real — Cypress Hall, New Bern

Chef Spyros Skellas — Taverna Agora, Raleigh

Chef Brandon Staton — Supperland, Charlotte

Chef John Tharp — Spotted Cow Steakhouse, Winston-Salem

Chef Ericka Torres — STOKE at the Marriott Charlotte City Center, Charlotte

Chef Jason Trivette — Chef Trivette's Conceptions, Hickory

Chef Chase Young — Hopfly Brewing, Asheville

Pastry Finalists

Pastry Chef Makala Beaver — King Neptune, Wrightsville Beach

Pastry Chef Charmaine Lizette Eclain Devine — Sugo Italian Steakhouse, Wilmington

Pastry Chef Josh Dobson — Peppervine, Charlotte

Pastry Chef Becky Keil — Porter's Neck Country Club, Wilmington

Pastry Chef Lei Van Note — STOKE at the Marriott Charlotte City Center, Charlotte

Mixology (Cocktail and Mocktail) Finalists

Zach Benson – Supperland, Charlotte with Outerbanks Distilling, Manteo
Margaret Boerner – Souvereign Remedies, Asheville with Chemist Spirits, Asheville
Jeremy Powers – The Hackney, Washington with 1000 Piers Gin Hackney Distillery, Washington
Ashley Sarkis – Yunta Nikkei, Charlotte with Muddy River Distillery, Mount Holly
Hanna Troedsson – Weldon Mills, Durham with Weldon Mills Distillery, Durham
Everette Young – Daingerfields at the Westglow Spa, Blowing Rock with Broadslab Distillery, Benson

Congratulations to all!

Visit the NCRLA event page for more information about Chef Showdown and how to purchase tickets.