The World Food Championships announced a new partnership with Sysco, the global leader in selling, marketing, and distributing food and related products to customers who prepare meals away from home. Sysco will join WFC2026 as an Official Platform Partner, bringing together its extensive foodservice network, culinary expertise, and portfolio of leading brands for an expanded presence throughout the World Food Championships in Indianapolis.
The partnership will make Sysco the exclusive partner in the Foodservice segment and will provide the company with significant presence throughout the WFC experience. As part of the agreement, the Taste of Indiana stage will be named the Sysco Demo Stage, with the Sysco name incorporated throughout event materials, signage, schedules, and stage callouts. Sysco culinary experts will conduct a variety of live demonstrations throughout the event, creating opportunities to connect professional chefs, competitors, and consumers through food and culinary education.
“Sysco brings an incredible combination of scale, culinary expertise, local market relationships, and a deep understanding of the foodservice industry to the World Food Championships,” said Mike McCloud, Founder and CEO of the World Food Championships. “This partnership goes well beyond putting a logo on a wall. Sysco is becoming part of the platform that connects our competitors, chefs, brands, consumers, and the broader foodservice community. Their commitment to supporting culinary professionals and their ability to activate across so many areas of WFC makes this a tremendous addition to our 2026 championship.”
Sysco will also serve as the Presenting Partner of the WFC Chef Category, one of the championship’s ten core competition categories. The partnership will put Sysco products directly into the hands of WFC’s elite culinary competitors, including White Marble Farms Pork Loin, which will serve as the required ingredient for the Chef Category Final Round. Competitors will be challenged to showcase their culinary creativity and technical skill while transforming the featured ingredient into a championship-worthy dish.
A significant Sysco presence will also anchor the festival floor, with a 1,600-square-foot activation space showcasing the breadth of Sysco’s foodservice capabilities and the specialized expertise of its participating partners. Sysco Indianapoliswill serve as the local hub for the activation, while each participating company will play a distinct role across the WFC2026 experience.
Certified Angus Beef will support the inaugural Burger Battle, bringing its premium beef expertise to one of WFC’s newest consumer-facing competitions. FreshPoint will highlight the importance of fresh produce and support produce-focused elements throughout the event, while Superior Fresh will bring its premium salmon to the outdoor live-fire consumer tasting, expanding its role from the Culinary Combine into an opportunity for attendees to experience the product firsthand. European Imports will help support the established Sysco Dessert Pantrywhile also integrating into Dessert Smash, connecting its specialty ingredients and products to WFC’s sweet-focused programming. In addition, Buckhead Meat & Seafood will represent Sysco’s specialty protein capabilities, with its products and expertise incorporated across multiple competition elements.
Together, the participating companies will help create an interactive destination where attendees can sample products, discover new ingredients, connect with culinary professionals, and see firsthand how Sysco and its family of specialty businesses support chefs and foodservice operators. Daily sampling, demonstrations, and additional consumer engagement will make the Sysco activation a destination throughout WFC2026.
The partnership will also extend into the WFC judging experience, and WFC is honored to welcome Neil Doherty, Senior Director, Global Culinary Strategy & Marketing at Sysco, as a judge for WFC2026. With extensive culinary leadership and a deep understanding of the foodservice industry, Doherty brings a valuable perspective to the evaluation of competitors as they pursue WFC championship titles. His participation underscores the caliber of culinary expertise represented throughout the WFC judging community and further strengthens the connection between Food Sport and the professional foodservice industry. Additional Sysco culinary professionals will also contribute their expertise to the championship’s judging experience.
“Bringing Sysco into WFC at this level creates tremendous possibilities for both sides,” McCloud added. “Our competitors get access to exceptional ingredients and culinary expertise, our fans get more opportunities to see and experience foodservice professionals in action, and Sysco gets a platform to tell its story in a very authentic environment. We’re excited about what this partnership can become.”
“Sysco is proud to partner with the World Food Championships, an organization that shares our passion for culinary excellence, innovation, and celebrating the talent of chefs across the industry. This partnership provides a unique opportunity to connect with culinary professionals, food enthusiasts, and consumers while showcasing the expertise of our chefs and the strength of our specialty portfolio,” added Brandon Lowe, Director, Business Specialists for Sysco Mid Central Region. “From premium proteins and fresh produce to imported ingredients and culinary solutions, Sysco is committed to helping operators create exceptional dining experiences, and we are excited to bring that passion and expertise to the World Food Championships.”
Finally, the partnership includes a custom qualifier strategy for Team Sysco, providing the company with the opportunity to qualify up to ten chefs for the 2026 or 2027 World Food Championships.
The 2026 World Food Championships will take place October 15–18 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center in Indianapolis, bringing together more than 1,500 culinary professionals to compete across ten championship categories and additional ancillary challenges for more than $400,000 in prize money. Indianapolis will crown the World Category Champions in each discipline, with those champions advancing to the Final Table, where they will compete for the ultimate title of World Food Champion.
