The 25th Annual National Pie Championships from the American Pie Council took place April 12-13 in Orlando, Florida at the SeaWorld Orlando Renaissance Hotel. Some of the world’s best bakers competed in a variety of pie categories in amateur, professional, and commercial divisions.
A total of 728 pies in categories such as fruits, nuts, and pot pies were entered across the three divisions, being sampled by more than 200 judges throughout the two-day competition. This year, Harlan Bakeries in Avon, Indiana was the top commercial pie maker, with 19 blue ribbons.
“All of these pie enthusiasts represent the best of the best in the pie-making industry,” says Linda Hoskins, Executive Director of American Pie Council. “Over the past 25 years, we’ve grown our pie family of members, while continuously spreading and upholding one of America’s most time-honored traditions through generation after generation – the art of pie making. We’re proud of our 25 years fostering America’s love affair with pie and can’t wait to see what our bakers cook up over the next 25 years!”
Other top commercial winners included:
- Weston Foods, Brownsburg, Ind. - 18
- Southeastern Grocers, Jacksonville, Fla. - 14
- Rocky Mountain Pies, Salt Lake City, Utah - 12
- Publix Supermarkets, Lakeland, Fla. - 11
- Jessie Lord Bakery, Torrance, Calif. - 9
- Table Talk Pies, Worcester, Mass. - 8
- Michele's Pies, Norwalk, CT - 5
- Walmart, Inc., Bentonville, Ark. - 5
- Wick's Pies, Winchester, Ind. - 4
- Meijer, Grand Rapids, Mich. - 3
- Something Sweet, New Haven, Conn. - 3
- Sunset Grill, Clearwater, Fla. - 3
- The Rose Plantation, Fruitland Park, Fla. - 3
- Lisa's Pie Shop, Atlanta, Ind. - 2
- Mike's Pies, Tampa, Fla. - 2
- A Fish Called Avalon, South Beach Miami, Fla. - 1
- Wayne's Family Restaurant, Oconto, Wisc. - 1
- World of Pies, LLC, Norcross, Ga. - 1
- Norske Nook, Osseo, Wisc. - 1
In the professional division, David Earheart from Kansas City, Missouri won Best of Show for his Iceland’s Café Loki-Inspired Rye Bread Cream Pie. The pie is based on Café Loki’s Rye Bread Ice Cream, which Earhart discovered on a walking food tour of Reykjavik. It is layered with a cream filling, toasted rye bread, piped meringue, and a caramel sauce drizzle.
In the amateur division, Rhonda Hull from Little Rock, Arkansas took home Best of Show for her Denali Caribou Crunch Pie. Layers of the pie honor the colors of the caribou she saw amidst the mountains of Denali National Park. Set atop a crunchy, chocolate cookie crust, there is a layer of white chocolate mousse with cookie and caramel cups, followed by a caramel-pecan layer, and topped with a chocolate mousse-like layer with white chocolate pearls and white chocolate-coated waffle cones.
Open to pie makers in the U.S. and Canada, the APC National Pie Championships are judged based on appearance, taste, consistency, crust, and the overall product. The event is an opportunity for companies to get their pies in the spotlight, and substantially increase sales.
For more information on the American Pie Council, this year’s National Pie Championship winners, and the 26th APC National Pie Championships in 2020, visit www.piecouncil.org.
