Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 18, 2026
Dairy Alliance Honors NC Chefs at 2026 Chef Showdown
TLDR
- Chefs can gain a competitive edge by using local dairy to create award-winning dishes and drinks that stand out in competitions.
- The Dairy Alliance honored winners at the 2026 Chef Showdown for creatively incorporating North Carolina dairy into savory dishes, desserts, cocktails, and mocktails.
- The Dairy Alliance's awards celebrate culinary creativity and support local dairy farm families, enriching the community and promoting sustainable practices.
- At the 2026 Chef Showdown, mixologist Ashley Sarkis won Best Mocktail and Mixologist of the Year using dairy in a cardamom-sugar whipped cream topping.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it underscores the versatility and creative potential of dairy in modern cuisine, from savory dishes to cocktails and mocktails. By celebrating culinary professionals who push boundaries with local dairy, The Dairy Alliance not only supports the Southeast's dairy farm families but also inspires chefs and mixologists nationwide to experiment with flavor, texture, and presentation. The recognition of these innovators helps elevate the profile of North Carolina's culinary scene and demonstrates how dairy can be a star ingredient in unexpected applications, driving consumer interest and demand for high-quality dairy products.
Summary
The Dairy Alliance, a nonprofit funded by dairy farm families in the Southeast, recently honored culinary talents at the 2026 Chef Showdown in Durham, North Carolina. The tenth season of the competition brought together top chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and distilleries to compete for titles including Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Mixologist & Distillery of the Year, and Best Mocktail of the Year. The Dairy Alliance also presented its Dairy Does More Awards to chefs and mixologists who most creatively featured local dairy in their creations.
The 2026 Dairy Does More winners were: Chef Matt Hannon of Ashten's in Southern Pines for Best Savory Dish with his lamb barbacoa, summer bean salad, whipped burrata, and purple honey; Pastry Chef Makala Beaver of King Neptune in Wrightsville Beach for Best Dessert with her Southern-inspired tiramisu featuring rum-soaked cornmeal ladyfinger, peach butter, and sorghum mascarpone; Mixologist Zach Benson of Outer Banks Distilling in Manteo for Best Cocktail, which also won the 2026 People's Choice Favorite alongside Outer Banks Distilling; and Mixologist Ashley Sarkis of Yunta Nikkei in Charlotte for Best Mocktail with her Sweet Carolina, which incorporated cream from Wholesome Country Creamery into a cardamom-sugar whipped cream topping. Sarkis' creation also helped her clinch the 2026 NCRLA Mixologist of the Year Championship.
The awards were presented during the Chef Showdown Grand Finale at Bay 7 in Durham, with Farrah Newberry, CEO of The Dairy Alliance, on hand to celebrate the winners. The recognition highlights how dairy can bring versatility and creativity to everything from savory dishes and desserts to cocktails and mocktails. A complete list of finalists and their competition dishes, desserts, and drinks is available at NCChefShowdown.com. To learn more about The Dairy Alliance, visit https://thedairyalliance.com or follow @TheDairyAlliance on Facebook or Instagram.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Dairy Alliance Honors NC Chefs at 2026 Chef Showdown
