Latest news with #WorldFoodChampionships
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New burger restaurant is to open at Westgate centre
A burger restaurant chain has announced the launch of a new restaurant at the Westgate centre in Oxford. The Beefy Boys is planning to open at the shopping centre in September - their fifth restaurant in the UK. This follows openings in Hereford, Shrewsbury, Cheltenham, and Bath. READ MORE: Curry house forced to close could reopen The chain was founded by four childhood friends and born from a backyard barbecue in 2011. Accolades include a top four finish at the 2024 World Food Championships in Indianapolis and winning Best Burger and Best Burger Chef at the National Burger Awards in 2023. (Image: The Beefy Boys) The team also released its debut cookbook in 2024, From Backyard BBQs to World-Class Burgers which topped the Amazon Bestsellers list and reached number three on The Sunday Times charts. Known for their smashed patties and high quality grass-fed Herefordshire beef, The Beefy Boys are promising diners favourites such as the classic Beefy Boy Burger, the award-winning Oklahoma Onion Boy and Dirty Boy, and the bold Peanut Butter and Jelly Boy. In addition to the burgers, diners can try Pastrami Fries, Millionaire Fries – topped with truffle oil, parmesan, and chipotle mayo, and Mac & Cheese Balls. Dishes at The Beefy Boys (Image: The Beefy Boys) For those with an appetite for something different, the menu also features options like Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders, Buffalo & Blue Cheese Chicken Wings, and even vegetarian and vegan-friendly creations such as the Beanie Boy and Leafy Boy burgers. Speaking about the new launch, co-founder Anthony 'Murf' Murphy said: "Oxford has always been high up on our list of dream restaurant locations. "It's a city full of culture, energy, and food lovers, so we can't wait to fire up the grill and introduce our signature smashed patties and dirty burgers to this amazing city.' Recruitment is now taking place. Job listings can be viewed at The Westgate Centre's Westgate Social and rooftop terrace have been popular dining venues since the centre's £440m relaunch in 2017.
Malaysian Reserve
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Malaysian Reserve
SmokeSlam and Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN) Crown "Rescue Smokers" Grand Champion at Second Annual SmokeSlam BBQ Festival; Team Wins $72,500 In Total Prize Money
SmokeSlam continues to hold the biggest purse in BBQ competition history of over $250,000 MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SmokeSlam, 'The World's Ultimate BBQ Showdown', is proud to announce Rescue Smokers from Sycamore, GA is this year's Grand Champion of the second annual three-day festival judged by Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN). There were two rounds of judging – a preliminary round and a final on-site round. The preliminary round at SmokeSlam includes both a blind sample entry and on-site presentations. SmokeSlam had 76 teams compete, seeing a 35% increase in team entries from last year. 'After being in finals last year and forgetting to do something that we were required to do and getting third place in Hog, to get here again and have this opportunity, wow. There is nothing like SmokeSlam 2025, baby!' exclaimed Pitmaster Robby Royal after the team's win. Whole Hog, Ribs, and Pulled Pork category prizes were awarded across ten places per category, totaling $150,000 in prize money. Each 1st Place winner also received a Golden Ticket to the World Food Championships. Rescue Smokers walked away with $65,000 just for the Grand Prize and Pulled Pork wins. In each category, the winners received: 5th Place winner – $5,000 4th Place winner – $7,500 3rd Place winner – $10,000 2nd Place winner – $12,500 1st Place Winner – $15,000 This year's top three MBN Winners: Whole Hog Fireman John's BBQ Grind City Smokers Swineantology Ribs Fireside Smokers Rebel Roaster Review Ole Booger Bear's BBQ Pulled Pork Rescue Smokers Poker Porkers Swine Life BBQ In addition to prize money, teams placing first through fifth received beautiful trophies forged down the road at The Metal Museum. Sixth through tenth place winners received a SmokeSlam medal also crafted at The Metal Museum. The 2025 WFC Ancillary Champions announced Friday included Duck, Bacon, Beef, Wings, Poultry, Seafood, and Dessert. Category prizes were awarded across ten places per category, totaling $40,000 in prize money. Sanctioned by the World Food Championships each category winner also received a Golden Ticket to the World Food Championships. 2025 WFC Ancillary Champions: Duck: Smokin' On The River Dry Rub: Sweet Cheeks BBQ Seafood: I Only Smoke When I Drink Bacon: Hotty Totty BBQ Dream Team Wings: BBQ Team Poultry: Sicilian Smokers Beef: Smoked N Spiced Dessert: Hotty Totty BBQ Dream Team Melissa Cookston's World Junior BBQ League returned with 42 kids who competed in four categories for a total purse of $25,000. Totally Bodacious BBQ was named Grand Champion and took home $12,500. SmokeSlam and Mempho Presents also generously donated $5,000 to WJBL again this year to further promote leadership, teamwork, and healthy competition through BBQ with youth. SmokeSlam also remains a committed partner to Project Green Fork which collects and distributes surplus food at SmokeSlam to those who are food insecure in the community. Photos and video are available for download here. For more information visit You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook. About SmokeSlam Smokeslam is the World's Ultimate BBQ Showdown, attracting teams from all over the country competing for the largest purse in barbecue history. Smokeslam is more than a barbecue competition; it is a complete experience, bringing live music and barbecue together at Tom Lee Park on the banks of the great Mississippi River in Memphis, TN in May. Produced by Mempho Presents, Smokeslam takes the experience of BBQ to a whole new level. For more information, visit Media Contact:Lindsay
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World Food Championships Crown Collin Hilton the 12th Annual World Food Champion
Chef Hilton takes home $150,000 prize and International Culinary Title BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Food Championships is proud to announce the winner of the 2025 World Food Championships, Collin Hilton. The Final Table was comprised of champions across 12 distinct categories, all competing over the course of two days to take home the ultimate prize of $150,000 and the title of the 12th World Food Champion. The competition took place at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food in Bentonville, Arkansas, where an esteemed group of judges convened to oversee a series of three challenges to determine one winner. The Final Table competitors included: Collin Hilton, World Noodle Champion Ricardo Viesca-Gutierrez – World Vegetarian Champion Emily Bench – World Dessert Champion Zach Hassilev – World Seafood Champion Jevon Brewer – World Chef Champion Jack MacMurray – World Bacon Champion Michelle O'Guin – World Live Fire Champion Phil Johnson – World Sandwich Champion Ryan Von Smith – World Rice Champion Hassan Naja – World Burger Champion Tina Crutchfield – World Soup Champion Shawn Williams – World Barbecue Champion Representing his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, Hilton topped the impressive field of culinarians in the final showdown, known as The Final Table. His personal storytelling, creativity, and technique earned him the highest score in the weekend's final round with a 93.75 in the "My Culinary Journey" challenge. Hilton's road to victory included top marks throughout the competition: 1st place in the "Taste & Recreate" challenge (Score: 94.875) 2nd place in the "Retail Gourmet" challenge (Score: 94.625) For the third and final challenge, the three remaining champions - Collin Hilton from Indianapolis, Indiana, Ricardo Viesca-Gutierrez from Dallas, Texas, and Emily Bench from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas - were tasked with creating a dish that told the story of their culinary journey. It was designed to showcase their personal evolution through food, highlighting the experiences and values that shaped each competitor. Hilton's winning dish consisted of spring pea cappellacci in chicken broth with recado negro, sugar snap peas, cashew salsa macha and Meyer lemon. "It was truly inspiring to witness twelve culinary masters, each already a champion in their own right, come together to compete for the coveted title of World Champion and the $150,000 prize," said Mike McCloud, Founder of World Food Championships. "Although only one could take the top spot, I want to extend my thanks to all the competitors, as well as everyone who helped craft such a distinctive and challenging Final Table. And, of course, a huge congratulations to Collin Hilton on his remarkable victory." Since its debut in 2012, WFC has amassed a large 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. Highlights and behind-the-scenes coverage from the weekend, hosted by Celebrity Chef Brian Duffy, can be seen on World Food Championships TV available on YouTube: View full results from the 2025 Final Table here: The 2025 World Food Championships will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, this October, where category champions will compete for their share of $450,000 in cash and prizes. To stay up to date on all things related to the World Food Championships visit or follow World Food Championships on Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships), Twitter (X) (@WorldFoodChamp), and LinkedIn (@WorldFoodChampionshipsHoldings). About World Food ChampionshipsThe World Food Championships (WFC) is the premier food sport competition globally. This multi-day, live culinary event showcases some of the world's best cooks competing for food, fame, and fortune across multiple categories. Each year, thousands of teams vie for a coveted Golden Ticket at official qualifiers to earn their spot at WFC. Since its debut in 2012, the event has attracted participants from nearly 40 countries and every state in the U.S. The 2025 World Food Championships will take place October 16-19 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in Indianapolis. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE World Food Championships
Fox News
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Fast-food menu items that chefs like to eat
Even chefs eat fast food sometimes. Fox News Digital spoke to various chefs from around the country to get their thoughts about the types of fare they seek out when they choose to eat at fast-food restaurants. Some chefs declined to participate, saying they avoid the seed oils in fast food altogether. Others admitted they eat it more than people might think. Here's what they had to say about their favorite fast-food places and picks. An array of answers came from chefs who spoke with Fox News Digital about their top choice for a fast-food breakfast. Josh Cooper, chef and owner of Cooper's Next Level BBQ in Tallahassee, Florida, said McDonald's is still his spot when it comes to a quick breakfast. "I'm old school," Cooper said. "It's McDonald's breakfast. Still the best. I think that Sausage McMuffin is just too hard to beat." Cooper participated in season eight of Fox's "MasterChef," finished ninth overall in the World Food Championships and earned the title of world seafood champion in 2019. "I mean, we load up on the McMuffins and my wife makes me get as many of the hash browns as I can carry," Cooper said. For Kathryn Neidus, who serves as executive chef of the Rustic Grill at StoneWater Golf Club in the Cleveland suburb of Highland Heights, Ohio, it's mostly Chick-fil-A for breakfast. "We all get the hash browns." Otherwise, it's McDonald's. "My husband usually goes for the Egg McMuffin sandwich with my kids and, of course, I love the hash browns," she said. "So, we all get the hash browns." Kelli Ferrell, a self-trained chef, cookbook author and owner of Nana's Chicken-N-Waffles in McDonough, Georgia, near Atlanta, offered a surprise pick. "You know who I love for breakfast?" she said. "Bojangles." "They make their biscuits fresh every morning." Her favorite is the chicken biscuit breakfast sandwich. "They make their biscuits fresh every morning," she said. Chick-fil-A was the clear winner when it came to lunch and dinner fast-food entrées. Most of the chefs who spoke with Fox News Digital agreed that Chick-fil-A was their go-to spot, with McDonald's a close second. "Chick-fil-A is probably our No. 1 go-to and I would say once every couple of weeks we're at Chick-fil-A," Neidus said. As a working mother of a 7-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, Neidus said there are times when it's just easier to stop at Chick-fil-A than cook something. "There's always something I can find that I enjoy," she said. Neidus said her kids love the chicken nuggets, but she'll usually get a salad. "I'm so boring," she said. "But I love it." Sometimes, Neidus said, she'll order extra nuggets and put them in her salad. It's a similar story for Ferrell. She said she likes Chick-fil-A because she has four daughters who are all "picky eaters." Said Ferrell, "Sometimes we don't want fried. Sometimes we want grilled. Sometimes we want a salad option. Sometimes we want sandwiches. So, it's a better option for us." Cooper said his kids are all about Chick-fil-A as well. "They love their Chick-fil-A," he said. "But my wife and I, when we travel, she's from Texas — so we try to hit Whataburger as much as we can when we're on the road." They even have every exit with a Whataburger location memorized between Tallahassee and Nashville, Tennessee, where his stepson goes to college. "I just get the double cheeseburger every time," Cooper said. One cook who didn't mention Chick-fil-A at all was Mike Haracz, a former corporate chef for McDonald's in Illinois. "If I am eating fast food for whatever reason, I tend to gravitate toward Wendy's and Taco Bell," he said. "I have had plenty of McDonald's in my day, so unless my kids want Happy Meals, I tend to look elsewhere. I also frequent more regional chains like Portillo's and Culver's instead of the national ones." What's his favorite sandwich? It's not a Big Mac. "A Wendy's Baconator really hits the spot," Haracz said. "I am usually not visiting a fast-food restaurant for health-conscious choices, so meat, cheese and bacon options are my go-to." Haracz added that "the bacon used on the burger is usually cooked nice and crispy." "I don't always want lettuce or other produce on my burger, so the Baconator hits just right," he said. When it comes to sides, most of the chefs said the French fries at McDonald's can't be topped. "It has to be McDonald's," Ferrell said. Neidus concurred. "I do think I like the McDonald's fries better than the Chick-fil-A waffle fries, I will say," she explained. "And I think my whole family can attest to that as well. We love the McDonald's fries." She also has a love for the fries at Wendy's, "but we just don't go to Wendy's that often." "Also, don't sleep on the Arby's fries," Cooper added, noting that he keeps a bag of the Atlanta-based chain's frozen curly fries at his house. Finally, when it comes to drinks and desserts, McDonald's fountain sodas and Chick-fil-A milkshakes are the favorites of the chefs who shared their thoughts. Neidus said Chick-fil-A's Cookies & Cream Milkshake is "absolutely" the best, though Cooper said he prefers the Oreo Cookies 'N Cream Milkshake at Steak n' Shake. But, Neidus said, the fountain sodas are better at McDonald's. "I think McDonald's is always the winner," she said.
