It was a proud day for the California Raisin Marketing Board and for Andrea Springs of Brandenton, FL, as the restaurant owner took Best of Show in the professional division of the 16th Annual American Pie Council (APC)/ Crisco 2010 National Pie Championships for her Chocolate Walnut Raisin Pie.

This was the first year the raisin category was available to professional division bakers and the first time that a pie in the raisin category has ever won Best of Show in the prestigious baking competition. The raisin category is sponsored by the California Raisin Marketing Board and is offered in the amateur, professional and commercial level pie competitions.


The APC/Crisco National Pie Championships were held April 23-25 at the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate in conjunction with the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco.

At the annual event, bakers of all skill levels, all ages, and all degrees of training, from all over the United States and Canada, competed in a bake-off to determine North America's best professional, amateur and commercial bakers as well as budding junior chefs. This year brought a record number of entries - 917 - among the four categories. It took 200 judges to eat their way through those pies to find the crème de la crème of North American pie bakers.