Chef Craig Baker, Executive Chef of the Indianapolis Intercontinental Hotel, after winning the 2026 World Food Championship Chef category.
Indiana Pork was proud to be part of the 2026 World Food Championships (WFC), held October 15–18 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. The event brought together more than 1200 chefs from across the country and around the world to compete in 10 culinary categories, who qualified by winning a “Golden Ticket” at a local competition to earn them a spot to compete in Indianapolis.
As part of its involvement, Indiana Pork sponsored the World Food Championships Junior Chef Competition, supporting the next generation of culinary professionals. The competition gives talented young chefs an opportunity to demonstrate their creativity, develop their skills, and gain valuable experience competing on a national stage. Jr. Chef teams had to use ground pork as the main protein of their dish. These chefs, ages 9-17, showcased pork in some incredible ways! We were proud of three Indiana teams who placed in the top 10!
Indiana Pork's support reflects our commitment to culinary education and inspiring future chefs to incorporate pork into their menus.
Indiana Pork also sponsored Indiana chefs competing in the World Food Championships who featured pork in their dishes. These partnerships helped showcase the many ways pork can be used in creative, flavorful recipes while building relationships with culinary professionals who influence food trends and consumer choices. In exchange for the sponsorship, chefs featured us on their social media feeds throughout the competition.
Indiana chefs had an outstanding showing at this year's competition! Chef Craig Baker, Executive Chef of the Indianapolis Intercontinental Hotel, captured the World Chef Championship, while Jordan Davis of Carmel, founder of the Smoking Pastor Project, won the World Barbecue Championship. Both chefs earned spots at the prestigious Final Table in spring 2027, where 10 category champions will compete for the title of World Food Champion and a $100,000 grand prize. As a note, Chef Baker won his Golden Ticket at the 2026 Taste of Elegance! And we learned about Chef Davis during State Fair when he reached out for extra product as his passion is taking his BBQ truck into disaster ravaged areas and feeding people. We donated extra pork burgers and chops to him to help feed the flood-destroyed neighborhoods around Indianapolis, where he took our donations and others and serve 9,000 meals in 6 days!
Indiana Pork's participation in the World Food Championships is an important part of its efforts to promote pork, support culinary innovation, and connect with chefs who can help inspire consumers to put more pork on their plates. From encouraging young culinary talent to supporting established chefs, Indiana Pork is proud to help showcase the opportunities pork brings to kitchens of all kinds.
With two Hoosier chefs advancing to the Final Table, Indiana has plenty to celebrate, and Indiana Pork looks forward to cheering them on!
Chef Jordan Davis, aka The Smoking Pastor, after winning the 2026 World Food Championship BBQ category.