Indy chef looking for redemption at World Food Championships
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Brady Foster with his golden ticket to the 2025 World Food Championships. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
When the World Food Championships land at the Indiana State Fairgrounds this year, Indianapolis chef Brady Foster will be looking for redemption.
Driving the news: Foster punched his golden ticket to the competition last month when he won the Mac-N-Cheese Throwdown at the Holy Cross Wine and Cheese Festival.
- Foster made a garlic herb macaroni and cheese with a goat cheese sauce, sweet potato cornbread and pork belly crumble crispy cheese topping.
- "I tried to do as much as I could in one package," he told Axios.
State of play: This will be Foster's third straight trip to the World Food Championships, and last year didn't go well.
- "If I'd have lost and did it my way, that would have been fine, but I was trying to be something that I wasn't," he said, mentioning he listened to bad advice and made dishes not true to his style.
- The chef and owner of Foster's Cafe and Catering in Lawrence specializes in African, American and African American cuisine.
How it works: Chefs from around the world enter culinary competitions to win a spot in the international showdown, where they're given a category and theme.
- Chefs compete live, cooking in a "kitchen arena" and get scored on execution, appearance and taste. Top scores advance from opening to final rounds, tournament style.
- This year, Foster is competing in the sandwich category. The theme hasn't been released yet, but he's thinking he'll do something with goat and African and French influences.
Flashback: Foster says he grew up "pretty rough" in Gary, Indiana, and never pictured himself as a top chef and restaurant owner.
- After managing a Cici's Pizza for a decade, Foster earned his culinary degree from Ivy Tech in 2017.
- He realized his dream of opening a restaurant in March 2020. He was open for one week before COVID-19 shut down the state.
- "It was very scary," he said. "A lot of sleepless nights. A lot of crying. A lot of praying."
- It was six months before he was able to fully reopen.
Fun fact: Foster took over the restaurant space from Circle City Soups, where he'd gotten his first job after culinary school with owners Roger and Cindy Hawkins — who he credits as his mentors.
- At the Mac-N-Cheese throwdown, Foster and Hawkins were the top two finalists.
- "So proud of our 'son,' Brady Foster, who not only won the golden ticket, but also won people's choice!!" Cindy Hawkins wrote on Facebook after the competition.
What's next: The World Food Championships will be Oct. 16-19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
- Tickets start at $26.
- "I can't wait," Foster said. "I'll try to make us proud."