Gumbo Social Hosts Successful Second Annual Hey, Auntie! 2025 Gumbo Cooking Contest
- Gumbo Social
- Mar 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 14
Contact
Dontaye Ball (aka Mr. Gumbo)
Gumbo Social
+1 415-655-9195
hello@gumbosocial.com
Instagram @gumbosocial
March 12, 2025
For Immediate Release:
San Francisco, California: Gumbo lovers gathered at the Ruth Williams Opera House on February 15, 2025, for the second annual Hey Auntie! Gumbo Cooking Contest. As part of the SF Jabulani Festival to celebrate Black History Month, the event showcased 12 talented contestants, drawing a crowd of over 130 attendees eager to celebrate Black food culture and cast their votes for the best gumbo.
"First and foremost, we want to thank all of our community partners—BHOV, Sunbelt Gallery, Bishop Ishmael Burch, Bayview Merchants, and the YMCA—for coming together to make this event happen. This was truly a community effort. Everyone brought their individual resources to the table to pull this off, and that’s really special. There was no city funding. We bootstrapped the whole thing.
I’m so proud of the Gumbo Social team. Everyone worked diligently to produce a phenomenal event—and an incredible after-party for both the contestants and the guests.
I’m also proud of the contestants. Seeing everyone's passion and love for gumbo reinvigorated me and reminded me why I’m so committed to making gumbo America’s dish.
This was a great opportunity to continue promoting Black food culture, to invoke the spirit of community, and to bridge cultures together. We had such a diverse group of contestants—every shape, color, creed, and race—and we were all there for the love of gumbo. It was beautiful. Truly a joyous moment.
And having Mayor Lurie there to witness what we’re building? That was huge." —Dontaye Ball, Chef-Owner of Gumbo Social
Photo by Silent Tunez Productions
Congratulations to the Hey, Auntie! 2025 Winners
The competition brought out some serious talent. The contest winners:
1st Place – Professional Chef: Jessica Scallan
1st Place – Home Cook: Jordan Stevenson
2nd Place Overall – Tyranny Allen
3rd Place Overall – Mario Torres
People’s Choice Winners – Stevonna Talbert & Savannah Leone
Photo by Silent Tunez Productions
Thank You to Hey, Auntie! Judges
A huge thank you to our judging panel, who brought their expertise and passion for food to the table:
Adonis Marcelino – Food content creator and community advocate (Check out his event recap!)
Jeff Hunt – Host of Storied SF Podcast
Raychelle Howard – Founder of Remy's Creations and Hey, Auntie! 2024 winner.
Yvonne Hines – Owner of Yvonne’s Southern Sweets and Hey, Auntie! 2024 winner.
Cecilia Phillips – Coordinating producer of KQED’s Check, Please! Bay Area and the face behind Cecilia Tries It, Beyond the Menu, and her original food game show Chew on This.
Photo by Silent Tunez Productions
Sponsors Who Made It Happen
A special shoutout to DoorDash for bringing their "Going Out" prize wheel, which kept guests engaged throughout the event, and to Zab’s Hot Sauce, which provided contestants with just the right amount of heat to elevate their gumbos.
This year’s competition built on the success of last year’s Hey Auntie! contest, further solidifying Gumbo Social’s commitment to celebrating Black food culture, bringing the community together, and creating a space where home cooks and professional chefs can shine.
Photo by Silent Tunez Productions
Where to get more info about the Hey Auntie 2025! Gumbo Cooking Contest
Read more about this year's event here: Hey Auntie! 2025 Contest Announcement
Follow @gumbosocial on Instagram for event updates or sign up for our email list. Read more about Chef Dontaye Ball here. Get the Gumbo Social press kit here. Send interview requests to hello@gumbosocial.com.
PRESS
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