For the first time in the competition’s history, Wisconsin will host the National Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs (JCR) Competition of Bailliage des Etats-Unis (Chaîne US), the U.S. chapter of The Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the world’s oldest and largest gastronomy and wine society.
The JCR competition will take place as part of the 2023 National Culinary Weekend, a series of seminars, tours and events that will be held June 1-4 in Madison, Wisconsin.
The JCR
The National Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs (JCR) Competition will take place on June 3 and will be hosted by Chaîne U.S. member Chef John Johnson at Madison Area Technical College, 1701 Wright St.
During the JCR, eight chefs from across the nation will compete in an “Iron Chef”-style competition using a mystery basket of ingredients (including products from local purveyors Jones Dairy Farm and Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese) along with a stocked pantry of more general items, to plan, prepare and plate three courses in the span of four hours.
The chefs' work is then critiqued by Chaîne judges, with winners announced at a gala dinner later that day. From there, the JCR winner will move on to compete in the international competition in Istanbul, Turkey in October.
2023 chef competitors include:
- Charles Carpenter (Far West)
- Kenneth Wong (Hawaii)
- Bryce Booth (Midwest)
- Jedidah Gaskin (Northeast)
- Danika Holty (Pacific Northwest)
- Fares Fiala (Southeast)
- Austin Adams (South Central)
- Torian Jenkins (Southwest)
“The purpose of this competition is to encourage and promote the culinary expertise of young chefs in the tradition of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs by exposing them to a competitive environment with their peers," said Mark Wright, Vice Conseiller Culinaire et des Professionnels des Etats-Unis, in a release about the competition.
National Culinary Weekend
Additional events include a day trip on June 2 featuring private tours of Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese (Waterloo, WI) and Hoards Dairyman Farm Creamery (Fort Atkinson) along with a tour and sausage-making class at Jones Dairy Farm (Fort Atkinson).
A day of professional seminars also take place during the JCR competition on June 3, culminating with the opportunity to view the critique of the competitors. Seminars include:
- “Re-imagining our Food Systems through Community; The Wild Bearies Approach” presented by Executive Chef and Founder Elena Terry
- “From Crops to Cows: Cheese to the Consumer” presented by George & Beth Crave of Crave Brothers
- “Growing from Grain to Glass” presented by Liz Henry of J. Henry & Sons
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit chaineus.org/event.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
