The Wedding Foodies Plot Twist Competition
A World Food Championships & Culinary Crossroads Event
Saturday, August 2, 2025: 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Get ready for a sizzling 90-minute tapas showdown where chefs leverage theatrical theme to create their own version of a culinary plot twist.
As guests arrive to a wedding performance at the Theater, they'll play a crucial role by voting for the best chef. The night ends with a vote to crown the fan favorite, helping expert judges determine the champion and winner of a coveted Golden Ticket. Let the culinary theater games begin!
LOCATION:
Indianapolis Reperatory Theater
140 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
OVERVIEW, RULES, & CHEF INFO
NUMBER OF COMPETITORS: 8
Prize Money*
1st Place: $500 & Golden Ticket
2nd Place: $200
*Additional prize money is subject to donations/sponsorships. Amounts will be updated in real time.
PROFESSIONAL CHEF REGISTRATION:
The registration fee is $50 (waived for Indiana chefs). Registration priority is based on a first come first served basis, with completed email applications (time and date stamped) determining the order of entry. Registration must be made via the Kelly Wensing Community Fund website registration page: Click Here to Register. Registration fees (when applicable) must be paid in full prior to acceptance into the competition. Venmo or Paypal arrangements must be made with the event host: [email protected].
PROFESSIONAL CHEF DEFINITION:
A professional chef is defined as someone who is one or more of the following:
1. A line cook, sous chef, chef, or executive chef in the service industry (within the last two years).
2. A graduate of a licensed culinary program.
3. An owner of a catering or food truck business.
4. A professional food or service industry consultant, representative, or spokesperson.
5. A culinary instructor.
6. A food service product tester.
INGREDIENTS
This is an open competition with the only defining limit in the title: plot twist. There are no ingredient restrictions.
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
This 90-minute competition is 100% theme-based. Chefs must create a dish with a noteworthy plot twist. This twist, and how it works with the overall dish will represent the execution score.
Official Rules:
Each chef must present 4 samples to the four expert judges within 60 minutes. Then, they must deliver the remaining dishes to the audience participants.
The E.A.T. methodology (from the World Food Championships) will be used by the expert judges to determine the final standings. The audience will also score the dishes, and their vote will be used to break any ties from the judge’s E.A.T. scores.
What must be prepared for judging?
A sample for all: Using the theme, each chef must prepare 4 identically-composed samples for the four expert judges within 60-minutes. Dishes can be served early. Samples must also be provided for the theater's wedding party.
No Size Limits: While there is no limit on size, it is recommended that all finished dishes fit inside the boundaries of a traditional 5” appetizer plate.
Plateware: Plateware will be provided.
Timing, heat, presentation, and scoring.
· Judging can occur at anytime during the initial 60-minute window.
Disqualification
· If a chef fails to deliver their four identical dishes to the judges within 60-minutes, they are disqualified.
Chefs not abiding by the official rules may be judged but will lose their eligibility for final awards. Participating chefs must submit registration prior to June 1, 2025, by contacting [email protected]. Payment for registration fees must be made at the host site prior to 2:45 PM. Submit questions to [email protected]
AWARDS
Results:
The panel of expert judges will use the E.A.T. methodology (from the World Food Championships) to determine winners. The audience vote will be used for determining the bonus ingredient and to break any ties from the judge’s scoring.
1st Place
In partnership with the World Food Championships, the judge’s winner will receive a Golden Ticket (Valued at $1,000) which is an official entry into the World Food Championships. This ticket will allow for registration into one specific competition category in the World Food Championships. The category of the ticket is not intended to be related to any ingredient category in the Plot Twist Challenge. All registration fees and submission requirements for the World Food Championships are the responsibility of the winning chef. The winning chef also receives the prize money listed above.
Runner Up
In partnership with the World Food Championships, the runner up (2nd Place) of the Golden Ticket Challenge may receive entrance into the Last Chance Qualifier (pending annual confirmation of a Last Chance Qualifier event) at the World Food Championships, which is an official entry into the year’s final qualifier for World Food Championships (typically held one day prior to the November event). This entrance will allow for registration into the qualifier, but all registration fees and submission requirements for World Food Championships events are the responsibility of the winning chef. The runner-up also receives the prize money listed above.
ARRIVAL:
Chefs should arrive at the event host site (140 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204) between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Arriving teams should congregate in the main dining area, where they can check in with the event staff. All chefs should be gathered in the dining are by 5:45 PM for service.
EQUIPMENT: Chefs will be cooking in a theater lobby. Chefs should contact the Event Staff prior to the event with questions about additional equipment and accessories.
DISCLAIMERS
Judge’s winners are solely responsible for all expenses, costs or fees associated with transportation and acceptance and/or use of the prize not specified herein as being awarded, including without limitation, any and all taxes (if any). Winner is not a recipient of a prize until s/he has been verified as the Winner by the judges. Upon fulfilling prize, the KWCF Event Staff will be deemed to have awarded the prize to the Winner and such Winner assumes full responsibility for the prize. All annual prize details are at the KWCF Event Staff sole discretion.
Entrants acknowledge that transportation, if applicable, is not included in the prize and that some events are beyond the control of the KWCF Event Staff and are subject to being rescheduled, modified, or cancelled. In that event, the KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to, at its discretion, reschedule the Competition, entry and/or end dates, modify the entry procedures, cancel the Competition, or cancel the awarding of Golden Ticket(s). Prize(s) are not redeemable for cash. Golden tickets cannot be transferred or granted to anyone else by the original recipient.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: Winning constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use Winner’s name, images, hometown, likeness, prize won, and photograph (all at the KWCF Event Staff staff’s discretion) for future advertising, publicity in any and all media now or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission. Competition Parties and their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives, and employees (collectively, “Released Parties”) are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, stolen, altered, garbled, incorrect, incomplete, or delayed Entries; all of which will be void. Released Parties are also not responsible for problems related to technical malfunctions of cooking equipment, electronic equipment, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failures, phone lines, failure of any Entry to be received by the KWCF Event Staff on account of technical problems, traffic, congestion on the internet or the website, or for any other technical problems including telecommunication, miscommunication or failure, and failed, lost, delayed, incomplete, garbled, or misdirected communications which may limit a contestant’s ability to participate in this Competition. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether network, printing, typographical, human, or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Competition, including, without limitation, errors or malfunctions which may occur in connection with the administration of the Competition, the processing or judging of Entries, the announcement of the prize or in any Competition-related materials. Mass entries generated by a script, macro or use of automated devices will be disqualified. The KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Competition in the event it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired, and to cancel or suspend the Competition in its entirety should tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or other causes corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Competition and, if terminated, at the KWCF Event Staff’s discretion, determine the Winner using all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of cancellation using the judging procedure outlined above. In the event of a dispute regarding entries received from multiple users having the same email account, the authorized subscriber of the email account at the time of Entry will be deemed to be the contestant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the email address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses. The KWCF Event Staff reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual (and void his/her Entries)) it finds to be tampering with the Entry process or the operation of this Competition or website, intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestant, the KWCF Event Staff, or any of its representatives or to otherwise be acting in violation of these Official Rules. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operations of the Competition is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to seek damages from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by the law and to disqualify such contestant from the Competition.
ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS: By submitting an Entry, Contestant acknowledges and agrees that the KWCF Event Staff may obtain many submissions under this Competition and that such entries may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to others submitted under this Competition and/or other competitions staged and/or sponsored by the KWCF Event Staff, and waive any and all claims contestant may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any composition, design, video and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the KWCF Event Staff (or its respective designees) may be similar to his/her Entry. Contestant acknowledges and agrees that the KWCF Event Staff does not have now, nor shall any of them have in the future, any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the infringement or protection of any copyright in and to contestant’s Entry.
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Competition. The KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules. Competition subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law.
RELEASES: By entering in this Competition, contestants agree to the KWCF Event Staff’s use of their personal information for both online and offline direct marketing purposes.
ARBITRATION & CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Competition, Contestant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Competition, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action lawsuit, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will contestant be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Competition), and contestant (or, if an eligible minor, his/her parent or legal guardian) further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of contestants and the KWCF Event Staff in connection with this Competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Indiana, USA without regard to Indiana choice of law rules.
A World Food Championships & Culinary Crossroads Event
Saturday, August 2, 2025: 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Get ready for a sizzling 90-minute tapas showdown where chefs leverage theatrical theme to create their own version of a culinary plot twist.
As guests arrive to a wedding performance at the Theater, they'll play a crucial role by voting for the best chef. The night ends with a vote to crown the fan favorite, helping expert judges determine the champion and winner of a coveted Golden Ticket. Let the culinary theater games begin!
LOCATION:
Indianapolis Reperatory Theater
140 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
OVERVIEW, RULES, & CHEF INFO
NUMBER OF COMPETITORS: 8
Prize Money*
1st Place: $500 & Golden Ticket
2nd Place: $200
*Additional prize money is subject to donations/sponsorships. Amounts will be updated in real time.
PROFESSIONAL CHEF REGISTRATION:
The registration fee is $50 (waived for Indiana chefs). Registration priority is based on a first come first served basis, with completed email applications (time and date stamped) determining the order of entry. Registration must be made via the Kelly Wensing Community Fund website registration page: Click Here to Register. Registration fees (when applicable) must be paid in full prior to acceptance into the competition. Venmo or Paypal arrangements must be made with the event host: [email protected].
PROFESSIONAL CHEF DEFINITION:
A professional chef is defined as someone who is one or more of the following:
1. A line cook, sous chef, chef, or executive chef in the service industry (within the last two years).
2. A graduate of a licensed culinary program.
3. An owner of a catering or food truck business.
4. A professional food or service industry consultant, representative, or spokesperson.
5. A culinary instructor.
6. A food service product tester.
INGREDIENTS
This is an open competition with the only defining limit in the title: plot twist. There are no ingredient restrictions.
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
This 90-minute competition is 100% theme-based. Chefs must create a dish with a noteworthy plot twist. This twist, and how it works with the overall dish will represent the execution score.
Official Rules:
Each chef must present 4 samples to the four expert judges within 60 minutes. Then, they must deliver the remaining dishes to the audience participants.
The E.A.T. methodology (from the World Food Championships) will be used by the expert judges to determine the final standings. The audience will also score the dishes, and their vote will be used to break any ties from the judge’s E.A.T. scores.
- The importance of the theme:
- The plot twist in the entry must be 100% discernable in the dish. If it is covered up or cannot be determined, it will negatively impact taste and execution scoring. Merely including a twist does not qualify as a proper usage. The plot twist should be representative of a theatrical change to an otherwise normal idea.
What must be prepared for judging?
A sample for all: Using the theme, each chef must prepare 4 identically-composed samples for the four expert judges within 60-minutes. Dishes can be served early. Samples must also be provided for the theater's wedding party.
No Size Limits: While there is no limit on size, it is recommended that all finished dishes fit inside the boundaries of a traditional 5” appetizer plate.
Plateware: Plateware will be provided.
Timing, heat, presentation, and scoring.
· Judging can occur at anytime during the initial 60-minute window.
Disqualification
· If a chef fails to deliver their four identical dishes to the judges within 60-minutes, they are disqualified.
Chefs not abiding by the official rules may be judged but will lose their eligibility for final awards. Participating chefs must submit registration prior to June 1, 2025, by contacting [email protected]. Payment for registration fees must be made at the host site prior to 2:45 PM. Submit questions to [email protected]
AWARDS
Results:
The panel of expert judges will use the E.A.T. methodology (from the World Food Championships) to determine winners. The audience vote will be used for determining the bonus ingredient and to break any ties from the judge’s scoring.
1st Place
In partnership with the World Food Championships, the judge’s winner will receive a Golden Ticket (Valued at $1,000) which is an official entry into the World Food Championships. This ticket will allow for registration into one specific competition category in the World Food Championships. The category of the ticket is not intended to be related to any ingredient category in the Plot Twist Challenge. All registration fees and submission requirements for the World Food Championships are the responsibility of the winning chef. The winning chef also receives the prize money listed above.
Runner Up
In partnership with the World Food Championships, the runner up (2nd Place) of the Golden Ticket Challenge may receive entrance into the Last Chance Qualifier (pending annual confirmation of a Last Chance Qualifier event) at the World Food Championships, which is an official entry into the year’s final qualifier for World Food Championships (typically held one day prior to the November event). This entrance will allow for registration into the qualifier, but all registration fees and submission requirements for World Food Championships events are the responsibility of the winning chef. The runner-up also receives the prize money listed above.
ARRIVAL:
Chefs should arrive at the event host site (140 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204) between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Arriving teams should congregate in the main dining area, where they can check in with the event staff. All chefs should be gathered in the dining are by 5:45 PM for service.
EQUIPMENT: Chefs will be cooking in a theater lobby. Chefs should contact the Event Staff prior to the event with questions about additional equipment and accessories.
DISCLAIMERS
Judge’s winners are solely responsible for all expenses, costs or fees associated with transportation and acceptance and/or use of the prize not specified herein as being awarded, including without limitation, any and all taxes (if any). Winner is not a recipient of a prize until s/he has been verified as the Winner by the judges. Upon fulfilling prize, the KWCF Event Staff will be deemed to have awarded the prize to the Winner and such Winner assumes full responsibility for the prize. All annual prize details are at the KWCF Event Staff sole discretion.
Entrants acknowledge that transportation, if applicable, is not included in the prize and that some events are beyond the control of the KWCF Event Staff and are subject to being rescheduled, modified, or cancelled. In that event, the KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to, at its discretion, reschedule the Competition, entry and/or end dates, modify the entry procedures, cancel the Competition, or cancel the awarding of Golden Ticket(s). Prize(s) are not redeemable for cash. Golden tickets cannot be transferred or granted to anyone else by the original recipient.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: Winning constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use Winner’s name, images, hometown, likeness, prize won, and photograph (all at the KWCF Event Staff staff’s discretion) for future advertising, publicity in any and all media now or hereafter devised throughout the world in perpetuity, without additional compensation, notification or permission. Competition Parties and their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives, and employees (collectively, “Released Parties”) are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, stolen, altered, garbled, incorrect, incomplete, or delayed Entries; all of which will be void. Released Parties are also not responsible for problems related to technical malfunctions of cooking equipment, electronic equipment, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer hardware or software failures, phone lines, failure of any Entry to be received by the KWCF Event Staff on account of technical problems, traffic, congestion on the internet or the website, or for any other technical problems including telecommunication, miscommunication or failure, and failed, lost, delayed, incomplete, garbled, or misdirected communications which may limit a contestant’s ability to participate in this Competition. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or malfunctions of any kind, whether network, printing, typographical, human, or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Competition, including, without limitation, errors or malfunctions which may occur in connection with the administration of the Competition, the processing or judging of Entries, the announcement of the prize or in any Competition-related materials. Mass entries generated by a script, macro or use of automated devices will be disqualified. The KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to modify, suspend or terminate the Competition in the event it becomes infected by a computer virus or is otherwise technically impaired, and to cancel or suspend the Competition in its entirety should tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or other causes corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Competition and, if terminated, at the KWCF Event Staff’s discretion, determine the Winner using all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of cancellation using the judging procedure outlined above. In the event of a dispute regarding entries received from multiple users having the same email account, the authorized subscriber of the email account at the time of Entry will be deemed to be the contestant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized subscriber is the natural person who is assigned the email address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses. The KWCF Event Staff reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual (and void his/her Entries)) it finds to be tampering with the Entry process or the operation of this Competition or website, intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other contestant, the KWCF Event Staff, or any of its representatives or to otherwise be acting in violation of these Official Rules. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operations of the Competition is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, the KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to seek damages from any such contestant to the fullest extent permitted by the law and to disqualify such contestant from the Competition.
ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS: By submitting an Entry, Contestant acknowledges and agrees that the KWCF Event Staff may obtain many submissions under this Competition and that such entries may be similar or identical in theme, idea, format or other respects to others submitted under this Competition and/or other competitions staged and/or sponsored by the KWCF Event Staff, and waive any and all claims contestant may have had, may have, and/or may have in the future, that any composition, design, video and/or other works accepted, reviewed and/or used by the KWCF Event Staff (or its respective designees) may be similar to his/her Entry. Contestant acknowledges and agrees that the KWCF Event Staff does not have now, nor shall any of them have in the future, any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the infringement or protection of any copyright in and to contestant’s Entry.
MISCELLANEOUS CONDITIONS: Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Competition. The KWCF Event Staff reserves the right to permanently disqualify any person it believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules. Competition subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law.
RELEASES: By entering in this Competition, contestants agree to the KWCF Event Staff’s use of their personal information for both online and offline direct marketing purposes.
ARBITRATION & CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Competition, Contestant agrees that (1) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Competition, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action lawsuit, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; (2) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and (3) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. Under no circumstances will contestant be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Competition), and contestant (or, if an eligible minor, his/her parent or legal guardian) further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of contestants and the KWCF Event Staff in connection with this Competition, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Indiana, USA without regard to Indiana choice of law rules.