A Palm Coast woman known locally for her work with the nonprofit Rise Above the Violence has advanced to the second round of a national cooking competition called Fave Chef and is asking residents for their votes to help her move forward.
Carmen Gray said she came across the competition on social media and entered almost on a whim, submitting photos and a personal story explaining why she wanted to participate. Her entry centers on her culinary program, Who Cracked My Egg, which she hopes to expand to reach more students if she advances in the contest.
“Everything I do points right back to our program, Who Cracked My Egg,” Gray said. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I won this and then I could actually utilize the money to help take this program to the next level, which of course is to make it broadly more available to more students.”
Gray said she initially did not realize how large the competition was. The total prize package is valued at $85,000, including a $25,000 cash award, an appearance with Food Network star Chef Carla Hall, and a feature in Taste of Home magazine.
“When I received notification that I was one of the finalists, I thought it was a scam,” Gray said. “I did exactly what you just did, I just laughed and scoffed at it. So I started doing research, because that’s just who I am. I don’t take anything at face value. The more research I did, the more I realized it really is a valid contest.”
According to Gray, more than 92,000 people applied for the competition in 2025. Entrants are grouped into smaller pools and compete within those groups; finalists who advance through multiple rounds eventually appear on Chef Carla Hall’s show. Round two of the competition began Thursday, June 11, and Gray is asking the public to vote for her to help her advance to round three.
Gray has a background in food safety and training. She worked for many years as a Publix trainer, where she managed food safety training for 44 representatives across 11 stores in her district, working alongside standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She continues to work at Publix. She also previously ran her own catering company, hosted cooking classes, and worked as a private chef.
Gray said she stepped away from her catering business after the death of her son, Curtis. “When he died, I lost my why,” she said. She said she sees the Fave Chef competition as a chance to reconnect with that part of her life. “I think Fave Chef is my pivot,” she said. “It’s taking me right back to the thing that I love.”
Gray noted that many in the Palm Coast community know her primarily through her work as Curtis’s mother and as founder of Rise Above the Violence. “This would be a nice way to show the personality behind Carmen,” she said. “Just me, live and in color.”
Residents interested in supporting Gray’s bid can vote for her here, in round two of the Fave Chef competition, which opened June 11.
The post Palm Coast’s Carmen Gray Advances in National “Fave Chef” Competition, Asks Community for Votes first appeared on Flagler County Buzz.
