2015 FMI Supermarket Chef Showdown Calls for Entries

Fifteen grocery store chefs from across the United States will vie for the title of Grand Champion of the 2015 Supermarket Chef Showdown at the annual FMI Connect conference in Chicago, slated for June 8-11. Chefs or their corporate representatives have until Feb. 28 to submit recipes to the competition in one or more of the following categories: Breakfast to Go, Holiday Party Platters, Ethnic Dishes, Affordable Family Meals and Desserts.

Professional recipe evaluators and testers will select three submissions from each category. The 15 finalists will then be invited to Chicago's McCormick Place to prepare their recipes live at the 2015 Showdown.

"One of the most exciting areas in the supermarket today is the fresh prepared case," noted Rick Stein, VP of fresh foods at the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute. "FMI started this competition as a way to recognize the talented chefs who work behind the scenes there, and to let consumers know what terrific prepared foods they can purchase at their local stores, and at good values."

The Grand Champion will receive an expense-paid trip for two to the Italian Culinary Institute in Calabria, Italy, with five additional category winners each receiving $1,000 in cash.

Winners of last year's Showdown were Rachael Perron, Kowalski’s Markets; Keoni Chang, Foodland Super Market; Andrew Kintigh, Hy-Vee Inc; Erin Horton, Orchard Fresh; and Michael Brady, FRESH by Brookshire's Grocery.

The competition's sponsors include McCormick & Co., Campbell Soup Co., The Hershey Co., Hillshire Brands Co., The J.M. Smucker Co., Mondelez International and The Pictsweet Co.