Your experience with food competitions

[vfem]

Do you have experience with food competitions? What advice do you have to share? When did you start? What was your best or worst experience?

If not, have you ever been interested in trying you hand at it?

I would love to hear from everyone on this!

 

[Imp]

I've been tempted to enter a few times, but am just not motivated enough to follow through.
I have noticed when I check out winners of contests. That I'm usually surprised at the recipe that won. A lot seem not very good, more just out there, using odd ingredients. One thing they do have in common is that they all photograph beautifully.

Imp

 

[bigmike&nan]

I watched the competition in chef school - kids would team up and get in local or national competitions, these were some really seriously competitive people with amazing skills.
The American Culinary Federation, foundations in memory of Paul Boucousse, Julia Childs and so on. Mor than anything for these kids starting up it was the honor of having won one of these to put on a resume, and there was some serious money offered to winners in some of these.
Like many of you I'm just not that competitive.
In my life since school and restaurants I've entered recipes in contests like those sponsored by Ocean Spray... Here's my entry - it's a variation on my Apricot Bar recipe - these are very good. And like the other poster mentioned, I was surprised what did win. Lots of very inventive people out there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4954071#p4954071

 

[vfem]

Thanks Mike!

I have a friend on another site who has gotten into and invited to the national pillsbury baking competition twice now! She went in 2008 and 2009. She didn't win, but an invite is hard to get!

I've been wondering because my husband is always on me to enter some things... generally, I'm not competitive, but he's right... if the money is right, I can sink it back into my business. So as of late, he has me looking into perhaps entering some more.

I may have to try the apricot bar recipe