Westport Farmers' Market Chef Cooking Competition Semi-finals, Sept 20

The semi-final round is here for the event that has taken the Fairfield County foodie community by storm,  the Westport Farmers’ Market’s Chef at the Market Cooking Competition! Which local chef will advance to the finals to be held in October? Will it be Ben Freemole of GrayBarns? Or Dan Sabia of Wood Fired Food? Or Jeff Taibe of Taproot? Or Anthony Rinalidi of Kawa Ni? To find out, join your friends at the Westport Farmers’ Market Thursday, September 20 at 10:00 sharp.

“The WFM 'Chef at the Market Cooking Competition’ highlights what the Westport Farmers’ Market is all about,” said Bill Taibe, co-organizer of the event and owner of Jesup Hall, Kawi Ni, and The Whelk. “It’s a great way to get our chefs in front of their customers in a hands-on quick competition and show how they utilize fresh ingredients on the spot while supporting the farmers who work so hard to grow these products.”

On the third Thursday of every month, chefs from local restaurants have competed. Each gets $20 and 45 minutes to shop from vendors at the market to create an appetizer-sized dish.

Volunteer judges, selected at random from shoppers that day, have selected one winner from each month’s competition to move to the next round and the semi-final round Thursday, September 20. The top two chefs from the semi-final round will move on to a final competition on October 4 at the WFM’s biggest event of the year, “Fork it Over”.

As has been the case throughout the summer, in the semi-final round, chef contestants will be judged on:

1.      Their use of market products

2.      Taste of the dish

3.      Cleanliness and presentation of their entry, and

4.      Originality of recipe  

Participants – all of whom volunteered after an invitation went out to chefs who support the WFM – are: Geoff Lazlo, Ben Freemole, Christian Wilki, Jeffrey Taibe, Matt Storch, Adam Roytman, Brad Spence, Anthony Kostelis, Anthony Rinaldi, Moises Aguilar, Dan Sabia, and Carlos Baez.

Of these, four have advanced, and only one will win on October 4!

“We have had so much fun with this competition,” said Lori Cochran-Dougall. “Not only is it exciting to watch these great chefs exhibit their talents, the Chef-at-the-Market competition encourages one-on-one conversations with many of their regular patrons. People loved it; it's a not-to-be-missed community event!”

Don’t miss the semi-final competition Thursday, September 20, at the WFM. Bring your family and friends, and root for your favorite local restauranteur!

W
Submitted by Westport, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next