At the 2026 Chef to Chef Conference at The Broadmoor, Jacob Picking, CEC, Executive Chef of Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo., was named Club + Resort Chef of the Year. The winning entree was a honey-glazed duck duo: roasted breast, duck meatball, potato purée, Swiss chard and bacon, duck jus, and pickled cherry.
Picking worked alongside apprentice Bryan Roque, Executive Sous Chef of Paradise Valley Country Club (Paradise Valley, Ariz.). Picking receives $4,000, plus the prestigious title, and an upcoming feature in Club + Resort Chef.
“I entered the [Club + Resort Chef of the Year] competition to see how my skills would stack up against my peers. I’m honored to have won this award, but the real honor came before that,” says Picking. “To serve my food to and meet judges like Jerry Schreck, Jason Hall, and Charles Carroll, as well as have them critique and compliment my food is a rare opportunity, creating memories that will never fade. I’m beyond appreciative for the opportunity and how beneficial the Chef to Chef Conference is.
The runner-up was Chris Smith, Executive Chef of Rolling Rock Club (Ligonier, Pa.), alongside apprentice Maggie Phillips, Executive Sous Chef of Hickory Hills Country Club (Springfield, Mo.) and 2026 40 Under 40 honoree. Smith receives a $1,000 prize.
Other competitors included Michael Lamping, CEC, Executive Chef of Dallas Athletic Club (Dallas, Texas); and Stephen Valenti, Executive Chef of Bloomfield Hills Country Club (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.).
After four years working in a local restaurant, Picking decided to attend Johnson County Community College’s chef apprentice program. After graduating, he joined Blue Hills Country Club as a line cook in 2014. Just over five years later, he was offered the Executive Chef position. This year is his seventh year as Executive Chef and his sixth Chef to Chef Conference.
“While competition isn’t something I’ve always pursued,” Picking said when he was selected to compete, “largely due to nerves and the unknown outcome, I see this as a valuable chance to step outside my comfort zone, showcase my skills, and measure myself against others in our field. … As I continue to grow as a chef and think more intentionally about long-term professional goals, I can’t think of a better stepping stone to challenge myself and gain perspective.”
Inside the Updated Format
The Club + Resort Chef of the Year Culinary Competition is vital in the Chef to Chef Conference, offering an exciting, live cooking experience for attendees and competitors.
The 2026 competition featured an updated format designed to reflect how chefs compete on global stages while giving participants greater clarity and control.
Each day, two chefs faced off in a live cooking challenge. Competitors had five minutes to set up, 60 minutes to cook, and five minutes to plate, followed by a 30-minute station reset. Judges evaluated each competitor based on taste, presentation, sanitation, and organization.
“We gave comprehensive critiques after they cleaned their kitchens,” says Scott Craig, WCMC, CCCD, Executive Chef of Cullasaja Club and Chef to Chef Conference Coordinator. “That’s a huge improvement over past years. We scored everything and took notes, then spent about 15 minutes each following clean-up. The goal is not only to win, but to improve.”
Rather than preparing multiple courses, competitors produced a single entrée, allowing chefs to concentrate on execution and technique while reducing the amount of product and equipment required to compete.
The competition format was also updated to align more closely with the structure and expectations of established culinary competitions worldwide. Competitors brought all ingredients, tools, smallwares, and equipment needed to execute their dish. The change was intended to eliminate uncertainty and allow chefs to plan preparation and travel with clearly defined expectations well in advance of the event.
While competitors supplied their own materials, they cooked in a professionally designed commercial kitchen built specifically for the Club + Resort Chef of the Year Competition and provided by the event’s title sponsor, Southbend/Firex.
Former Club + Resort Chef of the Year winners include:
2025: Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, MBA, Executive Chef, The Patterson Club
2024: Conor Ball, Executive Chef, Martis Camp Club
2023: Sam Brod, CEC, Executive Chef of The Landings Golf & Athletic Club
2022: Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, Forest Lake Country Club
2022: James Allen, CEC, Blackthorn Club at the Ridges
2020: Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Myers Park Country Club
2020: J. Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC Ansley Golf Club
2019: Eva Barrios, CEC, Austin Country Club
2019: Nelson Millán, San Antonio Country Club
2018: Brandon Gross, The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington D.C
2017: Todd Walline, CEC, CCA, Blue Hills Country Club
2016: Thayer Johnson, Castlewood Country Club
In addition to the annual Club + Resort Chef of the Year Culinary Competition, Tuesday’s Chef to Chef agenda also featured an incredible lineup of speakers. Stay tuned for more photos and coverage of the 2026 Chef to Chef Conference, the inaugural Hall of Fame inductees, and the Club + Resort Chef of the Year Culinary Competition.
