Saw’s Soul Kitchen Chef Matthew Statham to compete in nationwide cooking competition, August 8-9

Birmingham’s own award-winning Chef Matthew Statham of SAW’s Soul Kitchen is about to take part in the World Food Championship’s The Final Table: Indianapolis. From August 8-9, ten contestants from around the states will cook a number of dishes for a chance to win $100,000.

Not his First Rodeo

Matthew Statham, the General Manager and Chef of SAW’s Soul Kitchen in Avondale, is no stranger to the competition. Statham took first place in the tournament’s Chef category in October, taking home $10,000 and securing his spot in the upcoming competition.

His final dish—titled “Brunch Tart with Parmesan Herb Tuile”—was infused with Wampler’s Omega-3 Sausage and impressed the judges, allowing Statham to finish the completion with a score of 93.02 out of a possible 100.

The Final Table: Indianapolis

From August 8-9, Chef Matthew Statham will join nine other chefs to compete at the overall World Food Champion title in Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition to bragging rights, the winner will receive a whopping $100,000 grand prize.

During the competition, the participating chefs will take part in three elimination rounds. In the first round, the ten chefs will create a pork and Parisian gnocchi dish. The second round, narrowed down to five contestants, will focus on recreating a complex duck dish curated by Chef Greg Hardesty of Studio C. Only three contestants make it to the third and final round, where they must recreate the Indiana-famous Sugar Cream Pie.

Stiff Competition

Chef Matthew Statham will be going up against nine other award-winning chefs from around the states, including:

• Lidia Hadaddian from Pasadena, California
• Jodi Taffel from Altadena, California
• Morgan Cheek from Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• Ryan Hegland of Lakeville, Minnesota
• Josh Cooper of Tallahassee, Florida
• Kelli Fairchild-Cochran of Merced, California
• Evette Rahman from Orlando, Florida
• Rocky Julianelle from East Haven, Connecticut
• Ryan Murphy of Kansas City, Missouri

Watch the Competition from August 8-9

Want to see how Chef Matthew Statham performs in the competition? Stay tuned to the World Food Championships’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels to know when and where to watch.

Excited to see a Birmingham chef compete on the nationwide stage? So are we! Tag us @bhamnow to share your thoughts!