For Montgomery County residents who may never make it to the Great British Bake Off, the Takoma Park Pie Contest offered a very tasty alternative. The culinary contest returned to the Streetery on Laurel Avenue after a two-year covid hiatus Sunday.
67 pies filled the tasting tents in categories like apple, savory, and most unusual pie. The uncut eight to 12 inch pies were required to have homemade filling. Homemade crusts were highly recommended. Contestants could enter as many pies as they wanted. Pies were judged on appearance and taste.
Once the judging was completed, attendees could trade $3 tickets for a slice of a submitted pie. Picking your slice was not an easy decision for some. This reporter passed on a winning wedge of potato leek pie and sampled the winning peach pie submission instead. It was a creamy custard confection featuring crumbles and an exquisite crust.
Organizers sold 460 tickets to sample the pies. Lines snaked around the area and satisfied pie eaters dotting the streetside setting. Winners received blue ribbons and tokens they could use at the Takoma Park Farmers Market.
Here is a complete list of the winners:
Lisa Catalone Castro- Best Apple Pie with her Old Fashioned Apple Pie and Prettiest Pie – Mushroom Leek Pie.
Best Peach Pie: Beverly Auman and Miles Haggerty’s Peach Custard Pecan Crumble Pie
Best Other Pie: Hunter H.’s Cheesy Leek Pie
Most Unusual Pie Award: Anthony Le Clair’s Apple Jamaican Meat Pie
Yummy Mess Award: Jolyne Sanjak’s Salted Caramel Apple Crumb
Best Kids Pie: Signe Van Wye’s 3 Berry Pie
The official date for next year’s event has not yet been set but Laura Barclay, Executive Director of the Old Takoma Business Association, said, “it is usually about this time each year because it allows bakers to take advantage of the end of summer fruits (like peaches and berries) and the start of fall fruits like apples, tomatoes and squash.”
Proceeds from the pie contest go the Takoma Park Farmers Market Snap (food stamp) Match Program.
