Taking Home the Gold: Celebrating Chef Jonathan Burns’ Victory!

Huge congratulations to our very own Chef Jonathan Burns here at Wake for winning Gold at the Harvest Table Regional ACE Competition! 🏅

After months of preparation, ten chefs from across the country—representing their schools and culinary teams—traveled to Elon University for a high-stakes culinary showdown. Each chef had just one hour to prepare four identical plates using only one whole chicken and a general pantry. Judged by the American Culinary Federation, the competition was fierce—but Chef Burns rose to the top!

A proud North Carolina native, Chef Burns brings passion, creativity, and heart to every dish he creates. Trained at a local ACF culinary school, his journey has taken him from shoveling coals in BBQ pits to preparing multi-course meals for celebrities. Now, as our Culinary Director, he’s committed to prioritizing third-party certified products and supporting sustainably operating small-scale farmers—building trust and transparency in the origins of our food.

This July, he’ll head to the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, CA to compete on the national stage—and we’ll be cheering him on every step of the way.

We’re so proud to have Chef Burns leading our kitchen. His dedication to the craft and to conscious cooking is truly inspiring.