FOOD PRIZE

CREATING A WORLD-CLASS FOOD SCENE

Since 2015, the Louisiana Food Prize has focused on cultivating and evolving the culinary culture of our region. The result of this effort has put our region on the map as a burgeoning hotspot for food and drink, and this year’s Food Prize is back with a vengeance!

2022 marked the return of the beloved Golden Fork Dinner Series, an opportunity for our local chefs to flex their culinary muscles through amazing dinners and a chance to build their businesses and clientele. It all culminates at Prize Fest where we pair our finalist local chefs with nationally recognized chefs, providing opportunities for collaboration, inspiration, and resources for professional growth and shining a bright light on the incredible culinary talent we have here to our own community and beyond.

Program Stats

• 4 local restaurants started by competition chefs.

• Competition highlights local culinary talent.

2022 Stats

• Seven local chefs paired with seven celebrity chefs creating amazing dishes for Come and Get It!

• Our biggest (and tastiest) Come and Get It event ever.

• Free conversations about building food culture featuring both mentor chefs from across the country and local chefs.

Celebrating Local Excellence In The Culinary Arts

An accessible but challenging diverse food culture is key to breaking down barriers, and no one is better suited to bring that to life than local Culinary Creatives. Competing chefs stretch their culinary talents by hosting elaborate dinners through the Society of the Golden Fork dinner series. The top-scoring chefs advance to compete at Prize Fest.

Creating With Nationallyrenowned Chefs

Food Prize attracts nationallyrenowned chefs to our city for Prize Fest. We pair each celebrity chef with one of our local Golden Fork finalists to create incredible one-of-a-kind dishes featured at Food Prize’s Come and Get It! event during Weekend 2 at Prize Fest. This unique experience provides mentorship opportunities for our chefs, leading to delicious results!

Working To Elevate Local Culinary Culture

An important component of building a community that is attractive to tourism and new business is a strong food culture. Food Prize was designed to energize, educate and activate our restaurant and chef community. Through our mentorship programs, events and competitions, Food Prize has helped establish Northwest Louisiana as a food capital on the rise.