‘The Smoking Pastor’ claims barbecue title at World Food Championships

By JOHN HERRICK
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Two Indianapolis-area chefs won world championships at the World Food Championships, which brought more than 400 teams to the Indiana State Fairgrounds last week.

Craig Baker of Indianapolis won the World Chef Championship, while Jordan Davis of Carmel won the World Barbecue Championship during the Oct. 15 to 18 competition.

The event featured competitors from more than 35 states and 14 countries competing across 10 categories for championship titles and a share of more than $400,000 in prize money.

Baker, executive chef at the InterContinental Indianapolis, won his second World Chef Championship, according to event organizers.

Davis, known as the Smoking Pastor, claimed the barbecue title. Organizers said his work uses food to bring people together and support the community.

“Every year, the World Food Championships brings exceptional culinary talent to Indianapolis, and it’s especially meaningful to see local competitors earn their place among the world’s best,” said Mike McCloud, founder and CEO of the World Food Championships.

The competition returned to the Indiana State Fairgrounds for the third consecutive year. The event also featured food tastings, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, and other activities for attendees.

The 10 category champions will advance to the Final Table in spring 2027, where they will compete for the title of World Food Champion.

The other category winners were David Casey of Brockton, Mass., in bacon; Tatewaki Takano of Tokyo, Japan, in burgers; Bethany Boedicker of Galveston, Texas, in desserts; Adi Melkman of Utrecht, Netherlands, in live fire; Pablo Aquije of Hyattsville, Md., in noodles; Phil Johnson of Phoenix, Ariz., in sandwiches; Ricardo Viesca Gutierrez of Sarasota, Fla., in seafood; and Jacquelyn Gausemel of Washington, D.C., in vegetarian cooking.

Chef Preston Nguyen of Arlington, Texas, won the inaugural Culinary Combine skills challenge, which tested competitors across 10 timed challenges.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/local-news/indianapolis-chefs-win-top-honors-at-world-food-championships.