Local Chef Among Top 15 in a $25,000 Contest

By Roberta Cantrell

BSN Editor

Local Louisa woman, Cassie Burgess says she’s just a small town girl with some big dreams and loves to create in the kitchen. “Through my culinary journey I’ve always loved cooking and baking even as a child loved being in the kitchen cooking with my nanny, my mom, playing with food myself and went to culinary school. I have applied to several different shows with food network etc. over the last several years often times I get emails about new shows airing, or castings for those shows. I have also had customers and friends enter me into some,” Burgess said.

Like Noah Thompson, American Idol Winner, Burgess was coaxed in to the recent contest by a friend. “This one in particular was sent to me by a wonderful customer of mine, Patricia Sanders. She’s always been one of my biggest fans and her friendship is a blessing. She said you need to do this you’ll be perfect! So, I took the chance and entered,” said Burgess. “I had to answer a few questions on what my inspiration is, what my favorite dish to cook is, and what I would do if I won. So, I answered those questions which are located on my profile of the voting page. When I found out that I was accepted I was so excited to finally be accepted into one.”

Fast forwarding to now, Burgess thanks all her community, friends and family from all over I have made it to the next round. Top 15, which she says is crazy surreal and such a huge blessing to have even accomplished that. “I’m so excited to see where it continues to go and so are my kids! They are cheering me on like crazy as are my friends, family, community and my gang at Woody & Bears House of Rhythm and Brews, and The Forbidden Fruit bakery where I get to chef it up Thursday-Saturday evening when I clock off my full-time job. They all get so excited to find out where I’m at in the competition,” Burgess said. “I have the mindset if I don’t win the whole competition, I’m really proud of making it as far as I do because that in itself is a huge accomplishment in itself. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be in the competition amongst some of the best chefs in the world and hope it leads to even bigger things in the future. I just want to make my kids so proud and leave with them the legacy of the passion for cooking and baking that I have. It’s my peace to be able to just create food that not only looks beautiful but also tastes amazing as well. It’s fun and food is something that brings people together to make great memories.”

To vote for Burgess you can go online to favchef.com/2024/cassie-burgess and you can vote daily! The next cut will be on Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. PDT

“Just keep checking on my profile and I’ll keep updating the public on Facebook how it’s going and I’ll keep making plated food and posting those pictures!”