Who We Are
Team Indiana began back in 2015 with Chefs Craig Baker, Cindy Hawkins and Matt Stumm headed to Florida to compete at the World Food Championships. It started with a conversation about getting support to help us with our love of food and competitions.
We talked about it, but didn’t really get things going, until 2019. With the support of several Indiana food-based companies, we took 6 chefs to Orange Beach, Alabama to compete! We had many chefs in the Top Ten and realized that this was really going to be something.
Continued support over the following years and the Team representing in many events yielded further exposure. The team has participated in many not-for-profit events such as Rev, Turn Festival, Paramount Dinner Series, and Culinary Crossroads. We have been representing the state of Indiana around the country, having been supported by the Lt. Governor, Indiana Grown and other Indiana corporations. This work led to having our own sponsored area at Rev this year, working with a national beverage company.
In 2022, the Team took 7 chefs to Dallas to compete, with 5 placing in the their category Top Ten. Recognition on a national stage is increasing as the Team continues to spread its wings professionally through the team members’ own businesses and our mission statement.
In 2023, the Team took 9 chefs back down to Dallas to compete, with 6 of the 9 making their finals!
We compete each year in many food competitions, including the Great American Seafood Cook-off, International Farm to Table Conference, Pillsbury, Culinary Fight Club, Paramount Chef Competition and the World Food Championships as well as many online competitions including Taste of America.
Additional impact activities the team participates in include: chef demos with high school culinary classes, working with and mentoring inner city youth to learn about the food industry and job placement, demonstrations at many events including food shows, brand ambassadors for Wal-Mart, Neilson Massey, Red God, Clearwater Seafood. We also work with Second Helpings and Ivy Tech, hosting shadow and stage days, offering mentoring as well as employment, as we continue to focus on a Workforce Development priority of our mission. Team Indiana’s work can be found around the country in magazines, television shows and social media content.
2024 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Pastry Chef Youssef Boudarine
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Brady Foster
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Ben Hardy
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Jennifer Noram
Chef Erica Oakley
Chef Erin Oechsle
Chef Dean Sample
Craig Baker
Sandwich Category. Chef Baker has competed at WFC for 11 years and has placed in the Top Ten 6 times, including winning his category, the “Chef” category in 2017, sending him to compete at the Final Table.
Chef Baker is a chef/restaurateur who has owned many area restaurants, including The Local, Bent Rail Brewery and Plow and Anchor. He currently works as a consultant for many businesses, including being the chef consultant for the AMP at 16 Tech and run HAIV Hospitality.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Turon Cummings
Burger Category. Chef Cummins has competed at WFC for 9 years in the Burger Category and Rice/Noddle, placing in the Top 10 7 times, including finishing in second place in Burger 2 times. Chef Cummins currently owns and operates 7 food trucks in the Chicago/Northwest Indiana areas and owns and operated cafes at IU Northwest and Ivy Tech. Turon’s food trucks can also be found at events around the country including the Indy Eleven home games, the entire month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR events, the Chicago Cubs and Vegandale.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Marcus Daniel
Chef Daniel grew up in Fort Wayne, learning how to cook at his mom's stove. He graduated from Ivy Tech hospitality program, staying around Fort Wayne for a little bit. He then started moving around the country, including Chicago, Southern California, and when he went to New York, everything came into focus.
After moving back to Fort Wayne, he became the Executive Chef of Joseph Decuis, running the kitchen Decuis for 6 years.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Mike Gomez
Mike has been cooking all of his life. He started Gomez BBQ in 2015, moving to the Indianapolis City Market with his first restaurant in 2017. In 2021, he opened his second location on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis.
Mike was invited to compete on the “Bite Club” on the Food Network, hosted by Chef Tyler Florence and he took the big win! In 2022, Mike placed first in votes at the Turn Festival, taking him to the final round, where he placed third, qualifying him to compete in the World Food Championships. Mike competed in the rice/noodle category.
In 2023, Mike competed in the Bacon Category at WFC.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Roger Hawkins
Roger Hawkins has been a chef in Indianapolis for more than 17 years, working for chefs as Steven J. Oakley and Wolfgang Puck. After working in a number of restaurants, he decided to join his wife, Cindy, and launched Circle City Soups as a sister restaurant to Circle City Sweets at the Indianapolis City Market.
Roger’s focus includes a collection of local and seasonal ingredients to create his breakfast and lunch menus. He is an award winning saucier and his “famous” “My Dad’s Sweet Corn Chowder” was named the Best in Indy.
Roger has won Second Helping’s “Souper Bowls” competition an impressive 5 times, local Gumbo competitions multiple times and competed at the World Food Championships in 2019 and 2021.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Cindy Hawkins
•Dessert Category. Chef Hawkins has competed at WFC 6 times, placing in the Top Ten 3 times, finishing as high as 6th. Chef Hawkins has owned Circle City Sweets Patisserie and Boulangerie for 18 years, where she bakes wholesale for more than 15 local coffee shops and restaurants as well as participates in local Farmer’s Markets and has a full retail location at the AMP at 16 Tech.
Cindy donates her time to several local causes and programs including Ivy Tech, Area 31, and 20 other charities throughout the year. Her dedication to culinary education resulted in 13 years working with students and a new venture with her husband Roger doing culinary tourism domestic and abroad.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Travis Hitch
A Hoosier born and raised Chef. Travis has been in the hospitality industry for 25 years; recognized Chef in the area’s best restaurants and a supporter of many charity organizations.
Travis competed at the World Food Championships in 2022 and 2023, placing 5th in the Bacon category in 2023, he completed in the Chef category
You can see his influences in many of central Indiana’s best restaurants and in their staff. A proud father and he strives to be a pillar in his profession and community at large.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Justin Miller
Chef Justin Miller has honed his craft during stints at some of central Indiana’s finest country clubs and restaurants. He has refined his vision of hospitality on the grandest stage as Executive Chef of an award-winning fine dining concept. Loaded with that knowledge and his passion for service, Justin has created Ghost Mobile Kitchen. A chef experience unlike any other; he brings it to you!
Chef Justin has been featured on Food Network-Guy’s Grocery Games, where he won first place in the culinary competition show. He had an impressive top ten finish at the World Food Championships, as a member of Indiana’s culinary competition team, Team Indiana.
2023 Team Member:
Chef Craig Baker
Chef Turon Cummins
Chef Marcus Daniel
Chef Mike Gomez
Pastry Chef Cindy Hawkins
Chef Roger Hawkins
Chef Travis Hitch
Chef Justin Miller
Chef Erin Oechsle
Erin Oechsle
Chef Erin Oechsle currently teaches Culinary Arts at Area 31 Career Center. In her free time, you can find her creating multi course experiences for foodies around town while she expands her private catering, Chef E.
Prior to teaching, Erin was the executive chef at Spoke and Steele, where she was able to curate her dream menu which was full of tapas style, chef-forward, fusion dishes.
Erin won the Burger Battle in Indianapolis in the summer of 2019 and went to the World Foods in Dallas that fall. She placed 11th in the sandwich category and continues to compete across the city in a variety of events!
Our Newest Team Members for 2023!!!
Brady Foster - Chef/Owner of Foster’s Cafe and Catering. Chef Brady is a graduate of Ivy Tech Indianapolis with a degree in Culinary Arts. He is the former Chef at Circle City Soups - Lawrence, is the Food Director of Turning Point Schools and has a great deal of restaurant management experience. Chef Brady won 1st Place at the “Perfect Bite” Competition at the Paramount School this year to win his ticket to the World Food Championships!
Chef Dean has been the Executive Chef at multiple Indianapolis restaurants including: Meridian Restaurant and Bar, Northside Social, Chef/Co-Owner of Big Bear Biscuits and is currently the Executive Chef of Bonge’s Tavern in Perkinsville, IN. Chef Dean won 2nd Place at the “Perfect Bite” Competition at the Paramount School this year to win his ticket to the World Food Championships!
Chef Youssef was born in Morocco to a large family with a deep passion for food and cooking. At 19, inspired by talented chefs, he began to focus on chocolate and French Pastry. Youssef received his culinary degree in 2007. He first started working in bistros and hotels, like L’assiette du Marche with one of Paul Bocuse’s chefs. He considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Pierre Hermé for three months over the 2010 Christmas season which led to a recommendation at Ladurée. Youssef considers the move to Ladurée the beginning of his pastry career. Over five years, he learned from and worked next to many master chefs at one of the world’s most premier French pastry shops. In 2016, Youssef moved to the United States to share his love of French pastry with an American audience. Since moving to Indianapolis, he has added his personal touch and talent to many more notable local businesses. Chef Youssef won 3rd Place at the “Perfect Bite” Competition at the Paramount School this year to win his ticket to the World Food Championships!