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Madison Top Chef

3 students smiling during the Top Chef event while wearing chef hats and aprons
Madison Top Chef student holding a whisk and smiling

What is Top Chef?

Top Chef is a district-wide student culinary competition designed to allow students to explore nutrition and alternative career paths. Students will first compete at a site level by submitting their own written recipes to their cafeteria managers to review. If selected as their site winner, the student will then have the opportunity to be mentored by a nutrition professional and compete in the main Top Chef event. The event will be judged by chefs from our community, not attendees. Winners will receive prizes.

Key Information: 

  • Students who wish to participate will fill out the recipe and permission slip form and turn it in to their school's cafeteria manager no later than lunch time on Friday, March 27th.
  • One student will be selected from each site to compete in the main "Top Chef" Competition on April 8th at the Madison Center for the Arts. 
  • Selected students' parents will be contacted first by Lexi Hernandez before the child is made aware of their winning.
  • The main Top Chef competition will be judged by 3 local chefs, and the students will work hands-on with the district's Executive Chef and other Food Service Volunteers in the kitchen to create their recipes. 
  • The recipes can be anything the student wishes! As long as they can make it and are passionate about sharing it.
  • Madison Food Services will provide all of the ingredients and tools needed. 

Event Timeline:

  • February 17, 2026: Recipe Submission opens. Students submit a written recipe of their creation to their site’s food service manager through a fill-in-the-blank recipe sheet with a parent's permission slip at the bottom. 

Recipe sheet/permission slip

  • March 27, 2026: Recipe Submission closes. 
  • April 1, 2026: Site winners will be announced and contacted by Lexi Hernandez. 
  • April 8, 2026: The main event! Site winners will prepare their recipes and compete for a chance to be Madison’s Top Chef: judged by 3 local chefs.

Who can compete?

All kindergarten through 8th grade students are eligible to compete to be Madison’s Top Chef.

Madison Top Chef student smiling while chopping red bell pepper and preparing salmon

Who is invited?

All Madison staff, students, and families are encouraged to come and cheer the students on!

Where and when?

For more information, reach out to Lexi Hernandez at (602) 664-7953.