Winners from the 25th Anniversary National Gingerbread Competition!

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS! Last week the Omni Grove Park Inn hosted its annual National Gingerbread Competition, marking 25 years of this amazing event. People of all ages, from all over the world, bake and decorate and make their way to Asheville, North Carolina every November to show off their delicious masterpieces. And these gingerbread “houses” are truly masterpieces.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, host of the National Gingerbread House Competition.

The special anniversary also meant that the FoodNetwork was on site filming this year’s competition! Scott wasn’t able to get quite as many photos this year due to all the filming. Bad news for Scott… BUT good news for all of you because the FoodNetwork will be airing the Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House Competition’s 25th Anniversary Special sometime in December. The special will be an hour long, and as soon as we know the details with date and air-time I will share it with you here on the blog!

Let’s take a look at some of Chef Nicholas’ favorite entries from each of the categories, starting with the Child group.

Selections from the Youth Category:

First Place Winner Youth: Mrs. Choi's Class, — First Place Winner Youth: Mrs. Choi’s Class,

The talented teen category:

First Place Winner Teen: Gabriella Arthur,

Without further ado…. I give you the top three finishers from the 25th Annual Omni Grove Part Inn National Gingerbread House Competition

Third Place

Second Place

Grand Prize Winner!

I also wanted to spotlight the judging team! Once again, Chef Nicholas was Lead Judge, and his team this year was spectacular! They do not have an easy job. No, sir. There are so many entries in each category, and a set of very specific rules that must be followed. Occasionally some of the entries are even drilled into to ensure all rules have be respected.

Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House Competition's 25th Anniversary Judging Team. — Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread House Competition’s 25th Anniversary Judging Team.

From left to right the 2017 judges are: Chef Cheryl Forberg, RD, Chef Aaron Morgan, Jeri Hemple, Steven Stellingwerf, Chef Mark Seaman, our very own Chef Nicholas Lodge, Chef John Cook, Executive Pastry Chef, Omni Grove Park Inn, and Nadine Orenstein.

And now I leave you with some more photos from the competition! Congratulations to EVERYONE who entered this year’s competition. Whether you were the grand prize winner or not, creating a piece for the National Gingerbread House Competition is a huge accomplishment!