OAKLEAF – Although he’s just 10 and in fifth grade, Landon Brown couldn’t help but wonder if he should have been a little bolder with his spices in the Florida Future Chef championship finals.

A second-place finish in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness competition still earned him a $3,000 Florida Prepaid 529 Savings Plan scholarship, a premier cutting board and a chef’s hat.

So young to be such a perfectionist, he can’t help but think an extra pinch here, a little splash there or an extra piece of basil may have made a difference.

Cooking is all Landon wants to do. He was a top-five finalist on Gordon Ramsay’s “MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays” a year ago. He’s used to working under pressure and appeasing the taste buds of picky judges. He enjoys the challenge of making rare meals well done.

“I just really like cooking. It’s always been pretty comfortable for me,” he said. “I just have fun. I just like to cook. Maybe I would probably change some of my seasonings, maybe be bolder, take a little more risk.”

Landon goes to Oakleaf Village Elementary. He was one of 191 students statewide who entered the Florida Future Chef Champion competition to create a unique school dish that will be standardized by FDACS and shared with schools across Florida for other students to enjoy.

Landon was interviewed over Zoom and was one of three finalists selected to compete for four days in Tampa.

Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation sponsored the event. Part of the competition involved shopping for ingredients at a local Sprouts store. All three students then had to create dishes focusing on Florida Fresh ingredients. Landon’s first dish was blackened salmon with a cantaloupe and arugula salad, mango, tomatoes and a homemade vinaigrette.

His championship round dish was called “Camo’s Paradise Pasta.” It included handmade pasta and shrimp. Camo is always by his side. It is an iguana from the 1997 Beanie Baby line and serves as his “sous chef.”

Landon’s long-range goals include starting with a food truck, becoming a world-class chef and opening Michelin-rated restaurants.

The competition also included a pizza party, a tour of Bern’s Steakhouse and hands-on cooking opportunities with local chefs.

The finals were in the lobby of the Epicurean Hotel. A theater was erected to seat more than 50 people to watch the finals.

Sophia Balmaseda of Conchita Espinosa Academy of Miami-Dade County finished first, while Michael Fanning of Manatee Bay Elementary was third.

“We love watching kids pursue their culinary passions, especially when that aligns with nutritious school meals,” said Jeremy Eason, Outreach Director for the Division of Nutrition, Education and Outreach. “Combining their love for cooking with nutrition education and eating a balanced meal is a huge win in our book.”