March 28, 2023. Louisville, KY. – Brian Capps of Louisville is taking home the title of Derby Burger Champion for the second time! Capps’ recipe for his “THE G.O.A.T.” burger was selected this year’s winner after a cook-off this morning between the top four finalists at the Kroger in Middletown. The 11th Annual “Derby Burger Challenge” is sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council and Official Seasoning: Dan-O’s Seasoning. Capps also won the competition in 2021. Capps 2023 Derby Burger is stacked with ground beef, Dan-O’s Seasoning – Spicy, melted goat cheese, fig spread, hot honey, and spring mix, all served on a toasted bun.
“I wanted to try something harder for this competition and really challenge myself,” said Capps who is a fan of experimenting in the kitchen. “I was trying to create flavors from a cheese board and wanted those flavors on a burger.”
Capps said burgers are definitely his favorite food to cook. “It’s just an all-American food that everyone enjoys!”
Dozens of original recipes were submitted for this year’s culinary competition, and more than 20,000 burger fans voted online to help pick the top four finalists. At the final cook-off, a panel of judges determined the overall winner based on points accumulated from four factors – Taste, Appearance, Creativity and Ease of Preparation.
Other finalists included: 2nd Place – Daniel Dunn of Union, KY with the Bourbon Bacon Jam Burger w/ Spicy Sauce; 3rd Place – Ira Mowman of Louisville with the 80/20 Gourmet Lavender Burger; and 4th Place – Melissa Thompson of Brandenburg, KY with Maw’s Chili Slaw Burger.
Capps’ winning Derby Burger recipe will be featured at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront during its nine-day run, April 27 through May 5, as well as inside Kroger stores.
Capps also receives a 2023 Official Derby Festival Poster, 2 VIP tickets to Thunder Over Louisville and 2 VIP tickets to Republic Bank BourbonVille, as well as a $100 gift certificate to Kroger, a grilling prize package from Kentucky Beef Council and a year’s supply of Dan-O’s Seasoning.
More information about the Derby Burger Challenge and past winners can be found online at www.kdf.org/beef.
About Kentucky Derby Festival
2023 marks the 68th year for the Kentucky Derby Festival, a month-long celebration packed with 70+ events leading up to the first Saturday in May. As an independent community organization, it’s supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people every spring and has a local economic impact of more than $127 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
