The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association has announced the winners of the 2025 Chef Showdown, a culinary and mixology competition held in partnership with the Got to Be NC program. The event featured chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and distilleries from across North Carolina competing for top recognition.
Winners of the competition have been named as the 2025–26 Got to Be NC Culinary and Beverage Ambassadors. These ambassadors will represent the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Got to Be NC program throughout the year at cooking demonstrations, educational seminars, and promotional events.
The newly named ambassadors include Chef Mauricio Huarcaya of Gustu Peruano in Wilmington, who was awarded both Chef of the Year and People’s Choice Award for Best Savory Dish. Pastry Chef Luis Rojas from Charlotte Marriott City Center received Pastry Chef of the Year as well as People’s Choice Award for Best Dessert. Runner-up awards went to Chef Kevin Stratton of The Depot on First in Knightdale and Pastry Chef Josh Dobson from Peppervine in Charlotte.
In beverage categories, Sarah McCabe from The Longleaf Hotel in Raleigh was recognized as Mixologist of the Year. Travis James from Julep Contemporary Kitchen in Greenville earned runner-up honors. Natalie Takacs from End of Days Distillery in Wilmington won both People’s Choice Award for Best Cocktail and Best Mocktail.
Chad Blackwelder, food service marketing specialist with NCDA&CS, stated: “The Chef Showdown is not just a competition, it is a celebration of the incredible talent of chefs and agricultural bounty we have in North Carolina. We are looking forward to the role our new culinary and beverage ambassadors will play in promoting our state’s food and beverage industries over the next year.”
Ambassadors will serve one-year terms assisting with marketing efforts for NCDA&CS. Their responsibilities include recipe development and representing North Carolina’s culinary excellence at various events statewide. More information can be found at www.ncrla.org.
