Photos by Jane Colclasure
Chef Payne Harding of Cache Restaurant in Little Rock knows a little something about cutting things close. Not only are the celebrated chef’s knife skills on point — something of an occupational necessity — but he is making a habit of winning chef competitions by razor-thin margins.
In 2024, Harding won the inaugural Delta Diamond Chef competition by a mere two points over Chef Matías de Matthaeis of Red Oak Steakhouse at Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff. On May 4, Harding repeated his winning ways, edging out the tandem of chefs Wendy Schay and Jill McDonald of the Croissanterie in Little Rock, as de Matthaeis came in a close third before a packed house of more than 300 at Saracen Resort Hotel’s new event center.
“The very first year, I was extremely nervous. I had to pass the first round. Then you had to pass the second round just to get to the finals,” said Harding, who, as defending champion, gained a bye straight to the 2026 finals. “Frankly, I was quite intimidated the first year going into the finals and even the first two rounds. When I won the first competition, one of the judges came up to me and said I won because I had the best flavors, and that kind of stuck with me. I realized flavor was the most important component.
“After that one, there was an eight-, maybe nine-month layoff in between competitions, and I really, really dedicated myself to this year’s competition. I probably started practicing seven months out and got a dish down. I practiced four or five nights a week for a good three, four months for this competition, and I did a ton of research. As a result, I was very confident going into the competition.”…