ACF Student Chef of the Year Award
The ACF Student Chef of the Year recognizes a student who possesses a high degree of professionalism, culinary skills and passion for the culinary arts.
History of the Student Chef of the Year Award
The award was established in 1987 by the late Baron Galand, CEC, to help student members establish their position within ACF. From 1987 to 1998, the Student Chef of the Year Award was bestowed upon one national winner during ACF’s national convention. In 1999, however, it was decided that a winner from each ACF region would be chosen. Regional winners advance to the national convention where they vie for the national title. In 2003 a culinary cook-off was introduced at the national convention, and, for the first time, regional finalists competed for the national title.
2027 Regional Qualifier
Coming Soon: Applications for the 2027 Student Chef of the Year Regional Qualifier Competition. Deadline for submittal is December 31, 2026. Questions may be directed to competitions@acfchefs.org.
2027 Regional Qualifier Schedule
| Region |
Dates |
Location |
| Western |
February 26–27, 2027 |
Orange Coast College |
| Northeast |
March 12–13, 2027 |
Columbus State Community College |
| Central |
March 19–20, 2027 |
Johnson County Community College |
| Southeast |
April 2–3, 2027 |
Virginia Western Community College |
2026 Regional Winners
- Central Region - Jack Courtney
- Northeast Region - Lilliana Morales
- Southeast Region - Ezrah Hanson
- Western Region - Kaylee Snyder
- Military - CS3 Trenton Ortiz (USCG)
2025 National Winner