Young Florida chefs invited to compete for scholarships and statewide recognition

Hailey Waldo Riverbend News Florida students ages 8 to 12 are invited to showcase their culinary talents in the 2026 Florida Future Chef Competition, hosted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness. Open to students of all cooking skill levels, the annual competition encourages healthy eating, creativity and the use of Florida-grown ingredients. Participants must create an original school meal that includes at least one fresh from Florida ingredient and feature at least three of the five school meal components: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy or dairy alternatives. Students enter by submitting a short vi