WFC Announces Largest Prize Purse in Food Sport History

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Posted Aug 10, 2023

WFC Announces Largest Prize Purse in Food Sport History

(Dallas) — Organizers of the World Food Championships announced today the event’s official prize purse – which will be the largest in Food Sport history – for the 11th annual championship that will be held at the iconic Fair Park in Dallas, Texas this November.

More than $400,000 will be awarded at this year’s WFC, which now features 11 main categories of food and a new category for cocktails. The event will begin on November 8th with a Last Chance qualifier for teams not yet registered, and end on November 12th as 12 new champions are crowned.

“We are excited to increase our prize purse for this year’s event and prove once again that WFC is the leader in Food Sport,” commented Mike McCloud, Founder and COO of WFC. “With the help of our new partners IMG and a21, we are building out an unparalleled platform for aspiring chefs and cooks who want to jumpstart or energize their culinary careers. A tremendous cooking challenge followed by a very rewarding prize purse are fundamental aspects of that promise.”

Each of the champions from the food categories will earn $10,000 for their victory, while the newly established cocktail champion will take home an industry-leading $5,000. In addition to the title and bragging rights, the food champions will be invited to compete one more time at WFC’s Final Table, where a grand prize of $150,000 will be featured.

“We are very excited to announce such a large prize pool to the Food Sport community,” commented Michael Eaton, CEO of the newly formed WFC Holdings. “We look forward to additional announcements in the near future showing our unwavering commitment to the growth of the WFC platform globally.”

Most of this year’s main event categories in Dallas will be comprised of 20 contestants, of which 35 percent will be “in the money” by making their respective finals. Here’s how the payout of each culinary category will work:

1st - $10,000

2nd - $3,500

3rd - $2,500

4th - $2,000

5th - $1,500

6th - $1,000

7th - $1,000

For the 11 champions who move on to the Final Table in the Spring of 2024, the payouts will add to their winnings in the following amounts:

1st — $150,000

2nd — $7,500

3rd — $5,000

4th — $3,000

5th — $1,250

6th-9th — $1,000 each

10th - 11th — $500 each

“This wouldn’t be possible without the support of all our partners and sponsors,” McCloud added. “We truly appreciate all of the companies and volunteers who have joined us in building out Food Sport and creating a pinnacle of opportunity for award-winning culinary teams from around the globe.”

Additional payouts will be provided to the winners of WFC’s ancillary contests including WFC Jr, FireWoman, Bonus Bucks and Biscuits & Jampionship — bringing the event’s total prize purse to over $430,000.

Stay tuned for more championship announcements about the upcoming Main Event in Dallas. If you’d like to be one of the first to be notified when tournament info is released or tasting tickets go on sale, click here.

In the meantime, stay up-to-date on all culinary competition news by following the World Food Championships on Twitter (@WorldFoodChamp), Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships).

About World Food Championships

The World Food Championships (WFC) is the highest stakes Food Sport 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 12 categories (Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Cocktail, Dessert, Live Fire, Rice/Noodle, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup and Vegetarian). Each year as Food Sport kicks off in January, thousands of cook teams try to earn their way into WFC by winning a Golden Ticket at an official qualifier. Almost 40 countries and every state in America have been represented at WFC’s main event since its inception in 2012.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. IMG also specializes in licensing, sports training and league development. IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

About a21

a21, formerly known as Agency 21 Consulting, is a full-service experiential marketing agency, specializing in event operations, production, corporate sales, and brand activations for live experiences. Founded in 2006, the agency's corporate offices are in Miami, New York, and London with satellite personnel in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Denver, and Monterey. a21’s portfolio includes internationally recognized events and festivals in South Florida and throughout the US: Food Network South Beach & New York City Wine and Food Festivals, Sunfest, Palm Beach Wine & Food Festival, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, Chefs Making Waves, Chefs For Farmers, Heritage Fire and Whiskies of the World National Tours, AMP's suite of Art Fairs, the newly acquired International Wine & Spirits Competition, and more.

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WFC Announces Largest Prize Purse in Food Sport History

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