Rockwall resident, Jeffery Washington, has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Favorite Chef competition. The annual competition is run by the fundraising platform Colossal and raises money for the James Beard Foundation, a non-profit that empowers the chefs behind America’s culinary landscape.
The tournament began accepting applicants this April, and began public voting on June 1st. Any home chef, food enthusiast or culinary prowess can apply and compete for a $25,000 grand prize, an appearance in Taste of Home Magazine and a chance to cook with Food Network icon, Carla Hall, and be featured on her online show, Chewed Up.
“I love Chef Carla Hall,” Washington said. “She’s a great chef and she’s very bubbly. So it was also a great chance to meet her and go on her show as well.”
Washington is a seasoned professional chef and aspiring entrepreneur based in Rockwall. He aims to build his career as a private chef further and eventually open his own food truck. His signature style and cuisine is a combination of Southern Creole and Italian, a fusion he developed over years of working in kitchens ranging from fast food to fine dining.
“I’ve been working in kitchens since I was 16,” Washington said. “I’ve been through it all. I’ve seen the worst of the worst. I’ve seen the best of the best.”
Before his culinary career, Washington navigated a life path of profound resilience. At 13-years-old, he was diagnosed with a lymphoma in his spine.
“They told me that I wasn’t going to walk again,” Washington said. “They told me that I was gonna have to deal with it for the rest of my life.”
Cooking became an escape for Washington, his first dish he created was spaghetti as a mothers day gift for his mom when he was 14-years-old.
“I just remember seeing that smile on her face when she took the first bite, and I didn’t realize back then that food could have such an impact on people,” Washington said. “It’s funny, I’ve evolved that same dish into an oven-baked spaghetti recipe that I still make today.”
Through support of his mother and grandmother and using cooking as a way to focus on something other than his illness, Washington surpassed all medical expectations and beat the cancer by the age of 16.
“I was in a wheelchair for a while and had trouble keeping my balance and stuff like that, but I went through physical therapy, and when I finished, I ended up getting a track scholarship to Sul Ross State.”
Following his collegiate sprinting career, Washington continued to get his culinary education at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin.
“I actually have a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts,” Washington said. “That was a big thing for me and I couldn’t have done it without my wife. She was behind me the whole way, encouraging me to just keep going even when it got tough.”
For Washington, winning the competition means more than the recognition and the title.
“With the competition, I plan on opening up a food truck business, as well as, uh, helping my family out a little bit too,” Washington said. “I want to get us better situated and get us into a better situation than we are in right now.”
Washington is turning to the Rockwall community to support his dream of winning the Favorite Chef competition.
“I’m here to raise money for the James Beard Foundation, but at the same time, I’m also here to represent Rockwall,” Washington said. “All support and all donations, votes, or whatever it may be, would be helpful.”
Washington hopes his journey serves as a reminder and inspires his community to persevere through the challenges life throws at you.
“Never give up. Always look to better yourself,” Washington said. “If things get too hard or too tough, don’t just walk away. Always strive to finish what you start. Because if you wake up every day and keep pushing yourself through, you will make it through whatever you’re going through.”
Vote for Jeffery Washington to become the next Favorite Chef while supporting a great cause using the link below:
https://favchef.com/2026/jeffery-washington
