Indiana Chef Wins $150K Prize at 2025 World Food Championship!

If you are a Hoosier foodie, then this news is sure to make your taste buds tingle with excitement. An Indiana man, Collin Hilton, has officially been crowned the 2025 World Food Champion! The Indianapolis native cooked his way to victory, beating out culinary talent from around the globe to take home the prestigious title and a grand prize of $150,000.

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This year's competition took place in Bentonville, Arkansas, at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food. Over the course (food pun!) of two intense days, a panel of judges evaluated three challenges, testing the creativity, technique, and storytelling ability of each finalist. When it was all said and done, Chef Hilton emerged victorious with a score of 93.75 in the “My Culinary Journey” challenge. His winning dish was a spring pea cappellacci in chicken broth with recado negro, sugar snap peas, cashew salsa macha, and Meyer lemon. I don't know what any of that means, but here's a picture of the dish, and it looks yummy!

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But Chef Hilton’s road to victory wasn’t just about one dish - it was his consistency across all challenges that set him apart. He dominated the “Taste & Recreate” challenge and secured second place in the “Retail Gourmet” challenge. Here's what Mike McCloud, Founder of World Food Championships, had to say about the 2025 competition...

It was truly inspiring to witness twelve culinary masters, each already a champion, come together to compete for the coveted title of World Champion and the $150,000 prize. Although only one could take the top spot, I want to extend my thanks to all the competitors and everyone who helped craft such a distinctive and challenging Final Table. And, of course, a huge congratulations to Collin Hilton on his remarkable victory.

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And here's some even more delicious news - the World Food Championships will return to Indianapolis this fall, bringing its unique blend of culinary excellence and competitive spirit back to Chef Hilton’s home turf.

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Since its launch in 2012, WFC has built a worldwide following, spotlighting incredible chefs, creating over 10,000 new dishes, and partnering with local non-profits, charities, and food banks to give back to communities across the country.