Wilson competes in “Favorite Chef” contest

This craft monster burger is one of Wilson’s signature creations. [Contributed Photo]

By Vikki Broughton Hodges

John Wilson, chef and owner of Sophie’s Cork & Ale at 23 W. Second Ave. in Lexington, is a participant in an international contest that could bring him $50,000 in prize money and a two-page advertising spread in Bon Appetit magazine.

John Wilson is the owner of Sophie’s Cork and Ale in Lexington [Contributed Photo]

Wilson said he was told about the contest from some fellow chefs and decided to participate.

“I thought I might as well take a chance — what have I got to lose?” he said.

Wilson said the prize money would be used for a much-needed kitchen upgrade that had been planned but is now on hold due to the pandemic. He noted he has been cooking on electric burners without a hood system, deep fryer or grill/flat top for the past five years. He became the chef in 2016 when the restaurant opened and purchased the business from the founders, David and Cynthia Milligan, in April 2019.

“If I could get the kitchen upgraded, I could rock it out all the time,” he said, noting daily specials could become regular menu items.

The Favorite Chef of 2021 contest, owned and operated by Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Crow Vote LLC, which calls itself a leading provider of online contests and competitions, invites cooks from around the world to enter a competition that crowdsources online votes to name a winner. By going to favchef.com, the public can vote for free once every 24 hours through Facebook. They can also do a “Hero Vote” for a $10 minimum in which each dollar represents one vote. The voting began Feb. 16 and will continue in a series of rounds until April 8 when the winner will be announced. Wilson has made it past the first round and is currently in the Top 10 in his group. The Favorite Chef website states that 25 percent of the funds raised through the paid votes will go to Feeding America,the nation’s largest organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a nationwide network of food banks.

Wilson said there has been some controversy about the contest because the original information sent out by the contest organizers led people to believe the magazine was doing a two-page editorial spread on the winner. The magazine and the Favorite Chef organization have since posted statements online that the two-page spread is an advertisement paid for by the organization. Wilson said he will be happy if loyal customers simply do the free daily vote.

Wilson has been cooking for 14 years, including stints at Sapona Country and the Lexington City Club, as well as Willow’s Bistro in Winston-Salem and Iron Hen Café in Greensboro. He received an associate degree in culinary arts from Guilford Technical Community College in 2016.

Known for his signature half-pound Angus beef hamburgers, Wilson is no stranger to chef competitions. He was named Best Chef in the Triad under 30 by Yes! Weekly in 2018. Readers of the Greensboro-based alternative newspaper voted online to determine the winners.