WBA - Wisconsin Bakers Association - Best of the Midwest Hand Pie Challenge

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2025 Bakery Competition
Best of the Midwest Hand Pie Challenge

Best of the Midwest Hand Pie Challenge

Rules & Information

Join us for a Pie-Licious Contest! This is your chance to showcase your creativity and hand pie baking skills. Hand pies can be closed or free-form and should be easy to eat with one hand.

Competitors will need to provide pie samples for judging. Judging will be based on taste as well as presentation. A short description of each pie entry will be expected.

College Students and Industry Professionals are invited to compete in our Baking & Cake Decorating Competitions at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo!

All competitors must either represent a licensed food service facility (bakeries, cafes, grocery-stores, restaurants) or be a college student currently enrolled in a Baking & Pastry Arts or Culinary program (certificate or degree).

Each participant will receive a complimentary registration to attend the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo!

Registration & Entry Fees:

The early registration deadline for all of the bakery competitions is Friday, February 14, 2025. The standard registration deadline is Friday, February 28, 2025. All entries must be registered in advance. Late entries may be allowed if space permits but will be charged a $50 late fee per entry.

Early registration allows WBA and WRA Members to take advantage of the lowest entry fees - starting at $30!

Early – WBA and WRA Members – $30
Early – Not-Yet Members – $45
Standard – WBA and WRA Members – $45
Standard – Not-Yet Members – $60

To register, please click here

Skill Level:

Baking & Pastry Arts or Culinary (College Student)
Industry Novice (Up to 2 years experience)
Industry Professional (2+ years experience)

Categories:

Closed Hand Pies: These are circular or square and sealed on all sides with a top and bottom crust.
Free-form Hand Pies: A single crust, free-form pie with the crust folded partway over the top of the filling.

Rules:

Hand Pies are judged on appearance and taste. Points will be given for neatness, originality, creativity, colors, and degree of difficulty. Click here to view a blank score sheet for this competition.
Multiple entries (2 total, one per category) per competitor are allowed. Each pie flavor must be different. Each entry will be judged separately. For example: an individual competitor could enter more than one hand pie (one closed hand pie and one free-form hand pie) but must meet the requirements for each entry. Each entry will be judged and scored individually on a points-based system. Competitor is responsible for additional entry fees, if applicable.
Each pie must be made from scratch.
All ingredients must be edible and shelf stable.
Only edible decorations and embellishments are allowed. Use of inedible decorations may result in a penalty score or disqualification.
Use of platters or boards is allowed in the hand pie for display only but will not be judged. Entrant is responsible for returning to pick-up any personal items.
Entries must be exclusive work of the entrant and may not have been entered in any previous WBA competitions.
Only individual entries are allowed. Team entries are not allowed.
All work must be done offsite. No decorating tools, equipment, cake, icing, base, stand, or materials will be provided by the competition, aside from table space for display.
Pies must be already baked, assembled, decorated, and ready for viewing when participants arrive. Minimal adjustments, repair, and additions of embellishments will be permitted within the allotted set-up window.·
Judging will be held at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Expo Center at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo on Wednesday, March 12th.
Business cards or logos may be placed on display following completion of judging.
Entries may be set up on Wednesday, March 12th between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM. Any entries delivered after 8:30 AM will not be judged, but placed for display purposes only.
A short anonymous description of each entry is encouraged but not required. The purpose of this description is to better inform the judges of the entrant’s vision, process, materials and technique that may not be obvious from viewing the finished product. This is also where any specific theme or backstory of an entry can be briefly explained. If including a description, please bring along a typed/printed copy to display next to your entry (250 words or less) or email your description 72 hours in advance of the competition to jessica@wibakers.com. This document will be available for review during the judging process. Please do not include any competitor or organization name(s) anywhere in the summary. Any photos showing competitor faces will be discarded.
All work will be done in a professional manner.
Entries may not be removed until 3:00 PM on Wednesday, March 12th. Anything left after 5:00 PM will be disposed of. We are not responsible for returning items to competitors! No exceptions.
The organizers have the right to use photographs taken of competitor’s displays.
A license and/or student ID number is required.

Judging & Awards:

Judging for the Best of the Midwest Hand Pie Contest will be held at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo on Wednesday, March 12th by a team of qualified judges selected by the Wisconsin Bakers Association.
The judges will complete a comment sheet for each entry; copies of those sheets will be sent to each entrant within 10 days following the completion of the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo via your pre-registered email address.
Entries in each skills division are judged separately.
All judges’ decisions are final.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, March 12th.
All entries will be judged professionally.
Awards will be given on a points-based system.
The highest scoring entry in the competition will receive a Best of Show Trophy.
Additional awards may include Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver, & Gold Medals, People’s Choice, and Judge’s Choice.

Release:

The Best of the Midwest Hand Pie Contest is presented by the Wisconsin Bakers Association (WBA) in partnership with the Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) at the Wisconsin Food & Hospitality Expo. By entering the competition, the contestant fully releases all rights to photos, publication and other sources of media for all work produced exclusively for, during and in the complete time frame of the event. Contestant is subject to all registration fees, applicable taxes, and all other related expenses on behalf of him/her entering the above competition. Contestant agrees to abide by all rules set forth by the WBA for this competition. Contestant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the WBA and all sponsors from and against all claims, demands, costs, loss, damage, expense, attorney’s fees and liabilities growing out of, or arising from, caused or occasioned by his/her activities in the competition. Competition entry fees are non-refundable. All judges’ decisions are final.

Do you have any questions about the Best of the Midwest Hand Pie Contest?