Pie-Off

June 29, 2007 12:12 PM

Help! I'm running a pie contest Sunday. I need pointers on how to set it up.

It's part of this event. I don't yet know how many pies will be submitted. Here are the specs:

There will be two categories: Best Traditional Pie and Best Original Pie. We will also award a People's Choice to the crowd favorite (though the two top award winners will not be eligible for that).

We'll take 1/3 of each pie for judge testing, and 2/3s will be cut into small shares for People's Choice evalution.

This needs to be blind - the pies will have just the name of a pie and an identifying number or letter. But we need to keep track of which number was whose pie.

I'd like your pointers on setting this up from the moment of pie drop off to the awarding of prizes. I've never done a contest like this and I know people are taking it seriously, so I want to make sure it's for real. Should my judges have a score sheet? On what criteria should they judge? Should I make up entry blanks? How should I assign numbers to the pies and to the people while keeping it anonymous? And for people's choice, should be it be "Just write the number of your favorite?" or should there be some sort of ranking?

Any wisdom at all from past bake-off or other contest organizers most welcome!

posted by Miko to food & drink (5 comments total)

Can you have one non-voting person accept & label the pies?

The entrant would submit the pie and fill out a form. Out of sight of the entrant, a number is given to the entrant and affixed to the pan and next to the entry. This way the entrant does not know their number (so they cannot tell people to vote for number #4 or whatever) and neither do any of the voters.

Since you're using 75% taste and 25% appearance, I would just vote 1-10 (worst-best) on the appearance and break up "taste" into 3 sections. Maybe things like texture, uniqueness, etc.

Also, for best results, send me at least 1/3 of the winning pie pls.
posted by tastybrains at 12:20 PM on June 29, 2007

What might work for the blind numbering of pies are the two-part tickets you get for contests that have the number on each end and perforation in the middle. Get a large roll of them at Walmart or a party supply store.

Give number to person, stick other half with number on pie, easy identification later.

I would have a score form for each judge. You can just make up your score sheets in advance with the beginning number in the roll of tickets, going through until the end number.

I remember seeing a pie contest where they graded for consistency (flaky crust is good, pie shouldn't fall apart when cut, etc.), overall flavor and presentation (some people make the pies look pretty as well as taste great).

Yes, I would keep people's choice easy. Just have the people write down the number of their favorite and then the pie with the most votes wins.
posted by misha at 12:24 PM on June 29, 2007

The classic food contest way to keep the entries anonymous is blank styrofoam boxes. You (or another impartial person) pre-assign each entrant a unique number (this is most easily done by putting all of the entrants on a list in word, and auto-numbering them) , which you keep on a super top-secret list that also has two checkboxes on it for easch entrant. Make the entrants spilt the pies into the 1/3 and 2/3 into two unmarked boxes that you provide (it's best if they do this. there is then no way that the would influence the outcome. Plus, hey, less work for you.) When they turn in their team's two entries, you sharpie their ID number onto the boxes (referenced from the top-secret list, which with the boxes, doubles as a checksheet) separate them into the stacks, and you've got the pies in, and organized. This should be performed so that no one but you knows the numbers. Not the entrants, not the judges, not the voters.

If the entrants aren't pre-registered, just make a numbered list with blanks, and then get names as you go. The numbers are then determined by order of entry.

For people's choice, just do a straight vote for favorite. It's people's choice. Keep it simple.

For the actual pie judging by the judges, mark up a scoresheet for each judge in, say, excel. Across the top label:
Entry Number | Criterion 1 (1-10) | Criterion 2 (1-10) | Criterion 3 (1-10) | Total (of 30)
and then make a big grid. Highest total wins.

As for criteria, make sure to make one of the critera specifically related to the category (an originality one for original pies, a traditional-ness one for the traditionals)
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 2:37 PM on June 29, 2007

Wow, Doctor, it's a honor to meet you. I've always admired your work, especially the Musical Rotating Rain Barrel.

Thanks all - these were quite helpful!
posted by Miko at 7:27 PM on June 30, 2007

So the pie contest went great and will happen again next year. Some pics.

We presented the pies whole to the judges, and the judges cut the first slice. This turns out to have been a key part. An important piece of information about pie contestation (I learned) is that historically there are three major categories: Appearance, Taste, and Crust. Appearance is the way a slice of pie "sits up" on the plate; if it sags, falls apart, wilts, or weeps all over the plate, that's not good. Crust is the other thing being judged by the slicing. A good crust has a crumb with 'snap' to it - mushy crust is a no-no - but it holds together and doesn't crack when you slice it. Taste is self-explanatory.

The winner was a blackberry-blueberry-raspberry pie with granola crust. Unconventional...and yummy.
posted by Miko at 2:56 PM on October 4, 2007