Sharpen Your Knives: It’s the Final Round of Northern California’s Battle of the Blades

Core Points - Sysco Corporation is hosting a live cooking contest to determine the Culinary Artist of the Year for Northern California, featuring three finalists [1][2] - The event will take place on March 16, 2026, at the Ecolab Theatre, Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, California [2] Event Details - The contest, titled "Battle of the Blades Grand Finale," will feature three chefs competing in a 45-minute challenge using Sysco Pantry products and mystery ingredients [2] - A panel of five judges will evaluate the dishes based on visual appeal, creativity, execution, ingredient use, and taste and flavor balance [2] Finalists - Chef Dean Hiatt, executive chef at Poor Red's Bar-B-Q, has over 10 years of experience and numerous awards, contributing to community fundraisers [5] - Chef Jon-Luc Maggi, executive chef at Tiki Tom's, has a diverse culinary background and has spent the last decade blending various influences in his cooking [7] - Chef Robert Root, executive chef at The Century, has over 30 years of experience and draws inspiration from local ingredients and the community [9] Judges - The judging panel includes Sysco's Northern California region president, co-founders of Miro Foods, Sysco's corporate chef, a vice president from Sales Cake POS, and a reality food show competitor [10] Company Overview - Sysco is the leading global foodservice distribution company, generating over $78 billion in sales for the fiscal year 2024 [10][11] - The company operates 340 distribution centers across more than 10 countries, serving approximately 730,000 customer locations [10]