We’ve had an amazing number of applications come in this year from all across the country. It wasn’t an easy task for the Competition Committee to decide, but we’re excited to announce our competitors for this year’s competitions.
[expand title=”The National Showpiece Championship Teams” tag=”h4″]
Team Captain: Bill Foltz, L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles
Cori Schlemmer, L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles
Team Captain: Cher Harris, Hotel Hershey
Joseph Settepani, Bruno Bakery
Team Captain: Gonzalo Jimenez, Grand Hyatt New York
David Lewis, Brown Palace Hotel
Team Captain: Kelsee Newman
Scott Turner, Sullivan University
Team Captain: Julian Perrigo-Jimenez, Caesars Palace Las Vegas
Jordan Snider, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Las Vegas
Team Captain: Lionel Touya, Jean-Marie Auboine Chocolates
Rull Christophe[/expand]
[expand title=”Art of Cake Competitors” tag=”h4″]
Marilyn Bawol, Unique Cakes
Laknya Colenburg, Sweetest Indulgence Cakes & Desserts
Dori White Coy, Sweet Escape Confections
Dawn Davis, Dawn Bakes Cakes
Veronica Estrada, Sugar Benders Bakery
Diane Fehder, The Merion
Brianne Hager, B’s Sweets
Cornelius Hodge, Dessert Fetish
Renee Ito, Cherokee Town & Country Club
Cathy Kincaid, Pulaski Technical College
Herlina S. Kwee, Piedmont Driving Club
Jan Lewandowski, PTC-CAHMI; The Blue Cake Company
Nicole O’Clare, Nix Confectionery
Ramona Oskirka, Perfect Wedding Cake
Miranda Prince, Norman Love Confections
Jessie Anne Reilly, Take the Cake Decor
Karis Brewington Riddick, Sweet Sentiments Bakery and Gifts
Glenn Rinsky, Jefferson State Community College
Arti Thapa, Senior Lecturer, Food Craft Institute, Hoshiarpur (Pb) India
Jaime VanderWoude, Byerly’s, (Lund Food Holdings)
Kelly Williams, Custom Cakes By Kelly
Sara Hardy Williams, Cakehouse at Waterstone
[/expand]
[expand title=”Chocolatier of the Year Competitors” tag=”h4″]
Cesar Barachina, Turningstone Casino Resort
William Brown, William Dean Chocolates
Robyn Dochterman, St. Croix Chocolate Co.
Justin Fry, Norman Love Confections
Brandon Lee, Modern Chocolatier
Kevin Lindee, Ganache: Truffles For Every Occasion
Abderrahmane Neggaz, Chocotenango
Robert Nieto, Jackson Family Wines
Deden Putra, The Peninsula New York
Rodrigo Romo, Tout Chocolat
Annie Rupani, Cacao & Cardamom
Andrea Smith, Chocolate F/X
Jordan Snider, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Charity Teague, Charity Teague
Darcy (Bishop) Thrasher, Cero’s Candies
Laurent Vals, Laurent Vals Handcarfted Chocolates
John Walsh, Tampa Bay Times
Ayaka Yamamoto, The Ritz Carlton Orlando Grande[/expand]
[expand title=”Signature Plated Dessert Competitors” tag=”h4″]
Angela Kim, The Modern, New York
Eric Kroeker, Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Samantha Mendoza, Triniti, Houston
Jove T. Hubbard, The James Hotel/ David Burke’s Primehouse, Chicago
Ryan Stipp, The Blackthorn Club, Kingsport
Deden Putra, The Peninsula, New York
Cesar Barachina, Turningstone Casino Resort, New York
Donna Yuen, Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston
Stephanie Espinola, The University Club of Chicago, Chicago
Santiago Consuelo, Tout Chocolat, Mexico City[/expand]
[expand title=”The Dessert Cup Competitors” tag=”h4″]
Ashley Baughman, Omni Homestead Resort
Cesar Barachina, Turningstone Casino Resort
Gary Ele, Little America Hotel
Jan Lewandowski, PTC- Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute
Johnny Wesley, Mr. Peeples Restaurant
Kadi Waller, The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead
Kevin Lindee, Ganache: Truffles For Every Occasion
Laurent Vals, Laurent Vals Handcrafted Chocolates
Ryan Stipp, The Blackthorn Club
Charles Heaton, Moxie/Red Restaurant Group
Santiago Consuelo, Tout Chocolat
TaWanna Ray, 2 B Whole Bakery[/expand]
[expand title=”The Student Chocolate Challenge Competitors” tag=”h4″]
Markie Bain, College of Dupage
Nicki Bardet, Art Institute of Atlanta
Rachel Dau, College of DuPage
Nayeli Gallegos, College of Dupage
Leah Horcher, Kendall College
Jasmin Nathan, Art Institute of Atlanta
Marlana Poling, Kendall College
Courtney Pottinger, Art Institute of Atlanta
Micah Pritchett, Kendall College
Thomas Richberg, Johnson & Wales University CLT
Maya Shemolewitz, Johnson & Wales University[/expand]