FMI names Supermarket Chef Showdown finalists

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Arlington, Va., said 15 top grocery store chefs from around the country were named finalists in the 2015 Supermarket Chef Showdown. They now must compete for the title of Grand Champion during the annual FMI Connect conference in Chicago, June 8-11.

“FMI started this competition in 2012 to shine a spotlight on the culinary talents of the chefs who are driving the fresh-prepared food trends,” said Dagmar Farr, senior vice president of member services at FMI. “And we could not be more delighted by the record-breaking response from chefs.

“We received close to 300 recipes from 95 individual chefs across the nation,” Farr continued. “Without a doubt, the competition is tough. The dishes that the 15 finalists will prepare at the cook-off in Chicago are superb. Our judges will certainly have a difficult job!”

According to FMI, the 15 finalists and their respective stores include:

1.            Dayton Carroll, Hy-Vee, Keokuk, Iowa.

2.            Keoni Chang, Foodland, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

3.            Yolanda Chatman, Kroger, Sugar Hill, Ga.

4.            Elizabeth Davis, Hy-Vee, Davenport, Iowa.

5.            Timothy Donnelly, Publix, Lakeland, Fla.

6.            Brian Dunn, Roche Bros, Wellesley Hills, Mass.

7.            Amy Gleason, Hy-Vee, Omaha, Neb.

8.            Alois Maierhofer, Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh.

9.            Jason Miller, Balducci’s, Rockville, Md.

10.          Greg Retz, BI-LO, Jacksonville, Fla.

11.          Greg Roach, Wild Oats Market, Williamstown, Mass.

12.          Kirsten Shabaz, Valley Natural Foods Burnsville, Minn.

13.          Glenn Terrell, Brookshire’s, Tyler, Texas.14.

14.          Bryan Williams, Rockbridge Hy-Vee, Columbia, Mo.

15.          Arthur Wise, ShopRite, Florida, N.Y.

Each of these chefs represents one of three finalists in one of the five following categories: Breakfast to Go, Holiday Party Platters, Ethnic Dishes, Affordable Family Meals and Desserts. Each won a trip to Chicago to prepare his or her winning recipes at the 2015 Showdown, to be held June 10 at McCormick Place, FMI said. The chef with the best recipe in each category will receive an additional prize of $1,000. One grand champion — the best in the entire competition — will win an expense-paid trip for two to the Italian Culinary Institute in Calabria, Italy.