JWU Charlotte Student Earns Top American Culinary Federation (ACF) Title

From winning an American Culinary Federation (ACF) bronze medal in Myrtle Beach to competing on the national stage in Las Vegas, JWU Charlotte baking & pastry arts student Max Astacio ’27 has proven he can rise to any challenge.

Two ACF Wins, One National Competition

Earlier this year, Astacio competed in an American Culinary Federation (ACF) road show competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he earned a bronze medal for his blood orange méringue cloud. “But that was just the warm-up,” he noted.

“I’ve realized I’m not competing just to win — I’m doing it to become a better baker.”

After Myrtle Beach, Astacio advanced to the regional ACF competition (also in Myrtle Beach), winning Student Pastry Chef of the Year for the Southeast with a strawberry and rhubarb gâteau St. Honoré. That victory qualified him for the ACF National Student Competition of the Year during the organization’s summer convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. He called it “the best experience I’ve ever had.”

Practice Makes Perfect

“Throughout the summer, Max fit practices in before and after his work as a culinary assistant — all while taking three online classes. It was great to see his products evolve with constant tweaks, both big and small,” said Professor Amy Felder, Ed.D., who also serves as the baking & pastry arts department chair.

Astacio worked on honing his skills under pressure: “My baking and pastry labs prepared me well for competition, but the prep work with my professors prior to the competition made all the difference,” he explained.

Despite nerves before each event — similar to what he used to feel just before stepping onto the wrestling mat in high school — Astacio trusted his training: “I knew I was ready because I had practiced so hard and believed in myself.”

The competitions tested not only Astacio’s skills but also his composure. In Las Vegas, he was tasked with plating eight individual lemon tarts and four black forest cakes in 75 minutes. Success required knowing recipes inside and out and anticipating how each ingredient would react, while staying calm under pressure. “I’ve realized I’m not competing just to win — I’m doing it to become a better baker,” Astacio explained. “And I owe so much of my growth to my professors — Felder, Gallagher and Scoles — who pushed me to perfect my techniques and stay composed under pressure.”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Max as he refines his pastry skills,” said Chef Felder. “He is incredibly enthusiastic and driven to push himself. Max’s drive to refine his pastry skills and his openness to feedback from so many chefs have clearly contributed to his success.”

Lessons & Advice

While Astacio didn’t take home the national title, he learned a lot along the way — lessons that will last far longer. “Jump at a chance to compete in whatever you’re passionate about. Even if you don’t win, you will still grow from the experience.”

He continued: “Be prepared to work hard in preparation and know that things will go wrong. I even cut my finger during the national competition, but because of all my practicing with Chef Felder, I overcame that challenge, stayed calm, focused and executed my dish.”

For Astacio, the preparation was just as important as the competition. “Be patient and know that perfecting techniques takes time. Take criticism, ask questions and really listen to your coaches. That’s what will make you better.”

What’s Next?

Keep your eyes open for Astacio on campus as he practices for his next competition in 2026, or visit him at Vincente in Charlotte’s South End, where he’s working to perfect his baking and pastry skills. (His big dream is to open his own bakery.)

“The CFIT faculty and I cannot wait to see how far Max will go,” noted Chef Felder. And because no story about a chef is complete without a little fun, here’s a quick-fire Q&A:

• If your baking style were a music genre, what would it be? Classical music.
• Cake or pie? Wisconsin Door County Cherry pie.
• One kitchen gadget you can’t live without? A reliable oven.
• If you could only bake one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be? Croissants.
• What ingredient are you obsessed with right now? Cranberries and wine.
• What’s the first dessert you ever mastered? Mastery is something that people spend lifetimes trying to achieve. I am still on a journey to learn as much as I can and to get to the point where I understand every facet of a dessert including the function of its ingredients, how it can be manipulated to change the outcome, and how it can be made perfectly every time.

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_{Below: Max Astacio in competition at the ACF trials in Myrtle Beach. Top: Max’s milk chocolate sponge cake with cherry and kirsch crème Parisienne. Inset top: The blood orange méringue cloud. Inset bottom: Max in his chef whites.}