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World Food Championships Crown Collin Hilton the 12th Annual World Food Champion

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Posted Apr 2, 2025
World Food Championships Crown Collin Hilton the 12th Annual World Food Champion

Bentonville, AR (March 31, 2025) – With the conclusion of the 2024-25 competition season, the World Food Championships (WFC) is proud to announce Collin Hilton as the 12th World Food Champion. The Final Table, WFC’s signature event, was comprised of champions across 12 distinct categories, all competing over the course of two days to take home the ultimate prize of $150,000 and the illustrious title. The competition took place at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food in Bentonville, Arkansas, where an esteemed group of judges convened to oversee a series of three challenges to determine one winner.

The Final Table competitors included:

  • Collin Hilton, World Noodle Champion
  • Ricardo Viesca-Gutierrez – World Vegetarian Champion
  • Emily Bench – World Dessert Champion
  • Zach Hassilev – World Seafood Champion
  • Jevon Brewer – World Chef Champion
  • Jack MacMurray – World Bacon Champion
  • Michelle O’Guin – World Live Fire Champion
  • Phil Johnson – World Sandwich Champion
  • Ryan Von Smith – World Rice Champion
  • Hassan Naja – World Burger Champion
  • Tina Crutchfield – World Soup Champion
  • Shawn Williams – World Barbecue Champion

Representing his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, Hilton topped the impressive field of culinarians in the final showdown, known as The Final Table. His personal storytelling, creativity, and technique earned him the highest score in the weekend’s final round with a 93.75 in the “My Culinary Journey” challenge.

Hilton’s road to victory included top marks throughout the competition:

  • 1st place in the “Taste & Recreate” challenge (Score: 94.875)
  • 2nd place in the “Retail Gourmet” challenge (Score: 94.625)

For the third and final challenge, the three remaining champions - Collin Hilton from Indianapolis, Indiana, Ricardo Viesca-Gutierrez from Dallas, Texas, and Emily Bench from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas - were tasked with creating a dish that told the story of their culinary journey. It was designed to showcase their personal evolution through food, highlighting the experiences and values that shaped each competitor. Hilton’s winning dish consisted of spring pea cappellacci in chicken broth with recado negro, sugar snap peas, cashew salsa macha and Meyer lemon.

“It was truly inspiring to witness twelve culinary masters, each already a champion in their own right, come together to compete for the coveted title of World Champion and the $150,000 prize,” said Mike McCloud, Founder of World Food Championships. “Although only one could take the top spot, I want to extend my thanks to all the competitors, as well as everyone who helped craft such a distinctive and challenging Final Table. And, of course, a huge congratulations to Collin Hilton on his remarkable victory.”

Since its debut in 2012, WFC has amassed a large worldwide following, providing a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at its events, as well as numerous live and made-for-TV shows. In addition to popularizing competitive cooking, the WFC platform has had an undeniable impact on the food industry, facilitating the creation of more than 10,000 new dishes and supporting communities via partnerships with various local non-profits, charities, and food banks throughout the United States.

Highlights and behind-the-scenes coverage from the weekend, hosted by Celebrity Chef Brian Duffy, can be seen on the World Food Championships TV channel available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorldFoodChampionshipsTV

View full results from the 2025 Final Table here:
https://worldfoodchampionships.com/2025-final-table-results

The 2025 World Food Championships will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, this October, where category champions will compete for their share of $450,000 in cash and prizes. To stay up to date on all things related to the World Food Championships visit worldfoodchampionships.com or follow World Food Championships on Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships), Twitter (X) (@WorldFoodChamp), and LinkedIn (@WorldFoodChampionshipsHoldings).

About World Food Championships
The World Food Championships (WFC) is the premier food sport competition globally. This multi-day, live culinary event showcases some of the world's best cooks competing for food, fame, and fortune across multiple categories. Each year, thousands of teams vie for a coveted Golden Ticket at official qualifiers to earn their spot at WFC. Since its debut in 2012, the event has attracted participants from nearly 40 countries and every state in the U.S. The 2025 World Food Championships will take place October 16-19 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in Indianapolis. For more information, visit WorldFoodChampionships.com.


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