ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Omni Grove Park Inn held its extremely anticipated Annual Nationwide Gingerbread Home Competitors™, yesterday which included 200 entries from over 22 states and Guatemala. Contestants spanned throughout grownup, teen, youth and youngsters classes all competing for an opportunity to win a chunk of greater than $40,000 in money and prizes.
This yr’s winners, the Troublesome Dessert Devotees have been a niece and aunt baking duo from North Carolina, and it was their third yr competing and first time profitable the competitors. The furthest traveled competitor was Beatriz Mejia who traveled 4,234 miles from Guatemala to take part on this yr’s competitors.
The historic Asheville property introduced again six honorable Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards, launched final yr and renamed in loving reminiscence of former lead choose Chef Nicholas Lodge. Impressed from previous entries and the inventive parts that the rivals have launched through the years, the awards included “Greatest Use of Shade,” “Greatest Use of Sprinkles,” “Most Distinctive Ingredient,” “Pop Tradition Star,” “Most Modern Construction,” and “Longest Standing Competitor.” Moreover, again by common demand, registered rivals had the chance to vote on their favourite design to find out the winner of the “Folks’s Alternative: Greatest in Present Award.”
Whereas every creation was required to be 75% gingerbread and 100% edible, this yr’s panel of judges additionally evaluated every entry based mostly on distinct standards, together with total look, originality, creativity, problem, precision, and consistency of theme. This yr, the competitors welcomed new choose, superstar cake artist, Yolanda Gampp; Gampp is thought for serving as a choose on FOX’s Crime Scene Kitchen, being a two-time best-selling cookbook writer, and the co-founder of “How one can Cake It”, the #1 on-line baking training firm on the planet. The esteemed panel of returning judges additionally included lead choose Mark Seaman, culinary functions chef for Barry Callebaut; Geoff Blount, pastry chef and instructor; John Cook dinner, government pastry chef at The Omni Grove Park Inn; Steven Stellingwerf, pastry chef, writer, and instructor; Aaron Morgan, government pastry chef on the Steady Café on The Biltmore Property, and Ashleigh Shanti, chef/proprietor of Good Sizzling Fish & 2020 James Beard finalist.
The 2023 profitable entries within the classes of Grownup, Teen, Youth, Youngster, and Folks’s Alternative: Greatest in Present Award embrace:
- Grand Prize Winner, Grownup: Troublesome Dessert Devotees, “Christmas on the Tongkonan” – Fuquay Varina, NC
- Grownup Second Place: Pat Ashley Howard, “Shifting Day” – Orlando, FL
- Grownup Third Place: Bonnie Hardiman, “Residence Supply” – Hagerstown, MD
- Teen (ages 13-17) First Place: Courtland Excessive College German Program, “Classic Voyage” – Spotsylvania, VA
- Teen Second Place: Toccoa Titans, “Grove’s Miracle Tonic” – Blue Ridge, GA
- Teen Third Place: Emma Rhinehart, “An Elegant Christmas” – Columbia, TN
- Youth (ages 9-12) First Place: Frost Ladies, “Enjoyable within the Tub” – Woodbury, MN
- Youth Second Place: Perry Reid, “Vacation Smackdown” – Vacationers Relaxation, SC
- Youth Third Place: The Fiddleheads, “Little Blue Truck’s Christmas” – Clyde, NC
- Youngster (ages 5-8) First Place: Grace Webster, “The Night time of Magical Reminiscences” – Greenville, SC
- Youngster Second Place: China Grove Cousins, “Prepared, Set, SNOOOOWWWW!!!!” – Mooresville, NC
- Youngster Third Place: Paul Frahler, “Bathtub Santa Takes Off!” – Greenville, SC
- Folks’s Alternative: Greatest in Present Award: Love at Frost Sight, “Rockin’ on the Diner” – Woodbury, MN
The 2023 winners throughout the six Chef Nicholas Lodge Awards embrace:
- Greatest Use of Shade: Love at Frost Sight, “Rockin’ on the Diner” – Woodbury, MN
- Greatest Use of Sprinkles: Chloe Jennings, “Visions of Sugar Plums” – Purlear, NC
- Most Distinctive Ingredient: with use of Catgut Dental Sutures and Stevia Leaves, Troublesome Dessert Devotees, “Christmas at Tongkonan” – Fuquay Varina, NC
- Most Modern Construction: Andrea Watson, “Yo-Ho-Ho-Ho” – Simpsonville, SC
- Pop Tradition Star: Shelby Pechtel, “Groot’s First Christmas” – Troutman, NC
- Longest Standing Competitor: Merry Spafford, “A Classical Christmas Carol” – Loudon, TN
The 2023 winner for the participant who traveled the furthest:
- Furthest Traveled Competitor: Beatriz Mejia, “Barrel Organ” – Guatemala
This well-known competitors started in 1992 with a small group of neighborhood members who have been enthusiastic about constructing gingerbread homes and has since developed into one of the vital aggressive vacation occasions within the nation. The historic property is celebrating the thirty first Annual Nationwide Gingerbread Home Competitors via extra programming this yr, together with:
- 2023 Gingerbread Show: From Monday, November 27, 2023 – Tuesday, January 2, 2024, the property will highlight all submissions on show all through its public areas. The Gingerbread Show is on the market for resort friends to view 24/7 and to non-resort friends Monday – Thursday anytime and Sundays after 4 p.m., excluding holidays (December 23-25, 30-31 and January 1).
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The Nice Gingerbread Home: On show within the Nice Corridor, friends can go to the life-sized gingerbread home modeled after the historic resort, whereas having fun with house-made sizzling chocolate, a specialty craft brew in partnership with Highland Brewing and candy treats by the glow of the
iconic fireplaces.
Company can expertise vacation cheer at each nook with over 80 illuminated timber displayed all through the resort. - Gingerbread Vacation Bundle: For stays booked November 22 – December 30, 2023, the property welcomes gingerbread lovers to bask in its unique Gingerbread Vacation Bundle which incorporates deluxe lodging, a complimentary vacation gingerbread cookie, day by day breakfast at farm-to-table artisanal buffet restaurant The Blue Ridge, and in a single day valet w/ storage parking.
- 12 Days of Gingerbread: To spark additional Ginger-innovation and supply a digital possibility to take a look at the coveted competitors, the resort will proceed “The 12 Days of Gingerbread” on its official Fb (@omnigroveparkinn) and Instagram (@omnigrovepark) channels by that includes one of many High 12 finalists every day from December 1 – 12, 2023.
- Fall & Vacation Parking Program: From October 1, 2023 – January 2, 2024 the resort donates a portion of its parking proceeds to the neighborhood in help of native nonprofit organizations in Buncombe County, North Carolina. For the reason that program’s inception in 2013, the resort has contributed greater than $923,000 to those charitable companions; the donation complete will likely be introduced in February 2024 and is anticipated to surpass $1 million.
For extra info on The Omni Grove Park Inn, name (800) 438-5800 or go to omnihotels.com/accommodations/asheville-grove-park. For extra info on The thirty first Annual Nationwide Gingerbread Home Competitors™, name (800) 413-5778 or go to omnihotels.com/gingerbread.
About The Omni Grove Park Inn
Set within the idyllic Blue Ridge Mountains and simply minutes from downtown Asheville, N.C., The Omni Grove Park Inn offers a one-of-a-kind escape for modern-day vacationers. The award-winning, 513-room resort initially opened in 1913, showcases a variety of Arts & Crafts furnishings from Stickley and Roycroft all through visitor areas, visitor rooms and suites. Following the renovation of the Vanderbilt Wing in 2013, The Inn revealed the redesign of the historic Sammons Wing’s 204 guestrooms in 2017. The world-class Spa is an expertise like no different, with 43,000 sq. ft of subterranean house and an array of distinctive therapies incorporating indigenous parts. The resort’s historic 18-hole Donald Ross golf course is taken into account among the many prime golf experiences in North Carolina, and the Sports activities Complicated contains indoor and outside tennis courts. The Inn additionally focuses on native elements and chef pushed menus of their 4 signature eating places, every providing panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Omni Grove Park Inn is effectively suited to conferences, weddings and occasions, with 26 assembly rooms and two ballrooms totaling over 58,000 sq. ft, together with the Skyline Room and Mountain View Terrace. To get extra info or ebook lodging, go to omnihotels.com or name 1-800-The-Omni.
About Omni Motels & Resorts
Omni Motels & Resorts creates real, genuine visitor experiences at over 50 distinct accommodations and resorts in the most well-liked leisure and enterprise locations throughout america, in addition to in Canada. With 28 iconic golf programs, together with a number of quick programs, 25 award-winning spas featured in dynamic locales nationwide, each Omni proudly opens its doorways to share the true spirit of its vacation spot. Mirrored via native shade, personalised service, distinctive wellness choices, signature eating places and inventive culinary choices, Omni leaves an enduring impression with each visitor and a heightened degree of recognition and rewards delivered via its Choose Visitor® loyalty program. Omni is dedicated to decreasing starvation and is on a mission via its Say Goodnight to Starvation initiative, to supply tens of millions of meals annually for meals banks to feed kids, households, and seniors in communities by which it operates. Via its partnership with Shared Hope Worldwide, Omni is devoted to the training and coaching of its associates to assist fight human trafficking. Omni Motels & Resorts is the official resort of the PGA TOUR® and PGA of America. For info or to ebook lodging, go to omnihotels.com or name 1-800-The-Omni
