Celebrate central Arkansas’s up-and-coming culinary talents at the April 3 competition
The Iron Chef-style culinary competition Diamond Chef Arkansas returns on April 3, 2025, with its first event in six years. Originally founded in 2008, the event pits chefs in training against one another in a good-spirited cooking contest benefitting the UA-Pulaski Technical College Foundation. Students from UA-PTC’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program have been teamed up with past Diamond Chef winners Dan Capello, Jordan Davis, Donnie Ferneau, Marc Guizol, Jason Knapp, Andre Poirot, and Mary Beth Ringgold to compete against one another for the title of Diamond Chef. “This is all about the glory,” says Kelli Marks, a full-time faculty member at UA-PTC and Diamond Chef committee member. “Plus, all participating students will receive a Diamond Chef patch for their chef coat while the winning team will receive medals.”
Each of the six teams has a student lead. Pictured here are five of the students leads: Sarah King, Tyler Hobb, Austin Robinson, Jackson Haus, and Alyssa Frisby. (Not pictured: Kathleen Rollings)
While the teams compete, participants are invited to sample from tasting stations that feature some of the best and brightest culinary talents in central Arkansas; this menu includes pork belly from Cache Restaurant, braised lamb shank from Ciao Baci, and Sicilian tuna meatballs from Table 28 (see the full list of tasting stations here). VIP ticket holders will also be able to taste dishes prepared by competing teams in Round 1.
Cache Restaurant’s pork belly with gouda grits and green beans
Judges for the contest are Chef Ken Dempsey, MasterChef finalist Jennifer Maune, and food blogger Kevin Shalin, also known as The Mighty Rib, along with former UA-PTC instructor Suzanne Campbell acting as floor judge. “We will be using the ACF (American Culinary Federation) judging system,” Kelli explains. “One judge will be the floor judge who will score the teams on their sanitation and kitchen work. The other three judges will be focused on taste.”
As of writing, general admission and VIP tickets are sold out. “We’re so excited. There’s always this hesitation with large events that maybe nobody will come, but the response from restaurant participation was wonderful and ticket sales have exceeded expectations,” Kelli says. For those who missed out on ticket sales but want to support, the event’s online silent auction is live now with gift certificates to area restaurants, customized menus with beloved chefs, and more.
Organizers hope the 2025 event solidifies Diamond Chef’s return and brings awareness to the opportunities available at UA-PTC’s culinary school. “The Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute provides a strong foundation for students to build upon once they enter the workforce,” Kelli says. “These are the students who will be serving and creating food for the community at all levels, whether it’s a cottage bakery, someone working as a prep cook at a chain restaurant, or someone who is striking out on their own as a chef/owner.”
Diamond Chef is April 3 at UA-PTC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute in Little Rock. Find more details about Diamond Chef here. You can learn more about the UA-PTC Foundation at uaptc.edu/foundation and keep up with the Institute’s students on Instagram (@ptc_cahmi).
