

As bloggers, we tend to be bystanders; reporters of stories, but this Summit gave us the opportunity to participate in the actual process of determining the outcome of the competition. We underwent the official E.A.T. Methodology training to become certified WFC judges. The acronym E.A.T. stands for Execution, Appearance and Taste, and each dish is judged individually on these criteria. Judges assign scores from 1 (awful) to 10 (spectacular) and the composite of the scores determines which competitor moves to the next challenge. The World Food Champ creates four winning dishes to take home the $100,000 grand prize.

With our newly minted certifications under our belts, we were escorted to the main event to take our seats in the judges’ tent to judge the first competition of the WFC: Desserts. And, yes, the life of a food blogger judge is tough! We sampled 5 servings of orange crepes in Round 1 and 5 signature desserts in Round 2. I must admit that judging was much more difficult than I originally expected. Knowing that each score that you give affects the competitor’s chances of moving to the next round is quite daunting.

After, another full day, we headed to Flora-Bama Yacht Club to close the 2016 WFC Blogger Summit and welcome the Food Champ Athletes as they prepared to throw down for a shot at the ultimate Food Champ Title. Delicious food, creative cocktails and camaraderie were the order of the evening and a great way to end my first WFC Blogger Summit experience. I’m really hoping it won’t be my last!