Kids Cooking Competition comes to Meatfest this weekend.

GREEN BAY, Wis (WGBW) – The Meatfest Presented by Pelkin’s Smokey Meat Market is coming to the Resch Expo on Saturday.

While Meatfest in itself is an event to experience, within the event is a competition that fans of cooking shows like Top Chef, MasterChef Junior, and Chopped will love. It’s the “Kids Cooking Competition” hosted by Green Bay Area Chef Ace Champion. 

Amy Shadian, the event’s designer,  said the “Kids Cooking Competition” will shake things up a bit for Meatfest.

“We’ve done adult competitions, meat-smoking competitions the last couple of years, and those were good, but I wanted to change it up, you know, you gotta kind of bring new things to the event each year,” she said.

Kids Cooking Competition

Chef Ace Champion said suggesting a “Kids Cooking Competition” seemed like a natural fit for him, as he has worked with school-aged children to encourage them to learn culinary skills.

“ It really just takes that spark. You know, I see so many kids that maybe their parents didn’t raise them in the cooking. They don’t really know if they like it or not,” Champion said. “And then when you get ’em in the kitchen. And you see that spark. Then all of a sudden they’re cooking every day. That’s a win.” 

Two groups of children will compete: eight to 12-year-olds will compete against each other; older children, 13 to 17-year-olds, will compete separately. The competitors were chosen after submitting a video application.

“They had to submit their information, a recipe of something that they’re really proud of, and then a one-minute video of why they should be chosen. The videos were so cute,” Shadian said. “I’m so excited to see these kids in person. They just have such personality, and it’s just going to be fun to watch.” 

Judging the Kids Cooking Competition is a collection of Greater Green Bay Area celebrities.

Judges: 

• Chef Ace Champion
• Former Green Bay Mayor and co-host of Civic Media’s Maino and the Mayor Show, Jim Schmitt
• Bill Jartz, retired TV personality
• Shotgun, Y100 radio host
• 77th Alice in Dairyland, Halei Heinzel

Winners will receive recognition and a trophy.  ”They’ll get their trophy and a couple other knick-knacks like knives and coupons and stuff like that,” said Champion.